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MEMOIRS  OF 

STONEWALL  JACKSON 


BY   HIS  WIDOW 


MARY  AJS'NA  JACKS0:N^ 


WITH  INTRODUCTIONS  BY 

Lieut. -Gen.  John  B.  Gordon 

AND  Rev.  Henry  M.  Field 

AND  SKETCHES  BY 
fJENERALS  FiTZHUGH    LeE,  S.   G.    FRENCH,    LAFAYETTE  McLAWS,  M.  C. 

Butler,    Bradley   T.  Johnson,    James  H.   Lane,  William  B. 

Taliaferro,  Samuel  G.  McGowan,  Henry  Heth,  Basil 

W.  Duke,   Ex-Gov.  F.  W.  INI.  Holliday,   Revs.  J.  W. 

Jones  and  J.  R.  Graham,  Col.  Augustus  C. 

Hamlin,  Capt.  Joseph  S.  Morrison 


ViscotTNT  (General)  Wolseley,  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  Armies 

OF  Great  Britain,  and  Col.  G.  F.  R.  Henderson,  Professor  in 

THE  British  Staff  College,  Camberly'.  Surrey,  England. 


ILL-USTRATEID. 


THE  PRENTICE  PRESS. 
CotmiER- Journal  Job  Printing  Company, 

LOUISVILLE,   KY. 


COPYRIGHT,  1895, 

BY 
COURIEK-JOURNAL,  JOB  PRINTING  CXX 


TO 

THE  GRANDCHILDREN  OF  GENERAL  JACKSON 

JULIA    AND    JACKSON    CHRISTIAISI 
®l)is  Book  is  JDebicoteb 

IN    THE    PRAYERFUL    HOPE    THAT    AS    THEY    GRO^V    IN    YEARS    THEY    MAT 

DRAW   INSPIRATION    FROM    HIS    EXAMPLE,  AND  CONFORM    THEIR    LIVES 

TO    THE    SAME    EXALTED    STANDARD    OF    CHRISTIAN    DUTY,  WHICH 

MARKED  THE  CHARACTER  OF  THEIR  GRANDSIRE,  AND   WHICH 

WAS    ALSO    REFLECTED    IN    THE    LIFE  OF    THEIR  YOCNG 

MOTHER,  WHO  WITH  GENTLE  FOOTSTEPS  FOLLOWED 

HER    FATHER    AS    HE    FOLLOWED    JESDS 


PREFACE. 


For  many  years  after  the  death  of  my  husband  the 
shadow  over  my  life  was  so  deep,  and  all  that  con- 
cerned him  was  so  sacred,  that  I  could  not  consent  to 
lift  the  veil  to  the  public  gaze.  But  time  softens,  if  it 
does  not  heal,  the  bitterest  sorrow ;  and  the  pleadings 
of  his  only  child,  after  reaching  womanhood,  finally 
prevailed  upon  me  to  write  out  for  her  and  her  chil- 
dren my  memories  of  the  father  she  had  never  known 
on  earth.  She  was  my  inspiration,  encouraging  me, 
and  delighting  in  every  page  that  was  written ;  but 
the  work  was  not  more  than  half  completed  when 
God  took  her  to  be  with  him  whose  memory  she  cher- 
ished with  a  reverence  and  devotion  which  became 
more  intense  with  the  development  of  her  own  pure 
and  noble  character.  After  her  departure,  which  was 
truly  "  sorrow's  crown  of  sorrows,"  I  had  no  heart  to 
continue  the  work;  but,  remembering  how  earnestly 
she  wished  me  to  write  it  for  her  and  her  children,  I 
renewed  the  effort  to  finish  it,  for  the  sake  of  the  pre- 
cious little  ones  she  left.  In  forcing  my  mind  and  pen 
to  do  their  task,  I  found  some  "  surcease  of  sorrow  " 
in  carrying  out  her  wishes;  and,  as  I  went  on.  the 


yi  PREFACE. 

grand  lessons  of  submission  and  fortitude  of  my  hus- 
band's life  gave  me  strength  and  courage  to  persevere 
to  the  end. 

If  it  be  thought  that  I  have  been  too  free  in  my 
revelations  of  what  was  so  purely  personal,  in  that  it 
pertained  to  his  home  circle,  it  must  be  remembered 
that  this  was  written  expressly  for  his  grandchildren, 
who  in  no  other  way  could  ever  know  that  tender  and 
exquisite  phase  of  his  inner  life,  which  was  never  re- 
vealed to  the  world. 

Maby  Anna  Jackson. 


NOTE. 

On  pages  56  to  88  there  appear  frequent  and  extended  extracts 
from  an  interesting  article  by  Mrs.  Margaret  J.  Preston,  entitled 
"  Personal  Characteristics  of  Stonewall  Jackson,"  which  was  pub- 
lished in  the  Century  Magazine  for  October,  1886.  The  appropri- 
ate credit  for  the  use  of  these  extracts  was  inadvertently  omitted 
from  the  first  edition  of  this  work,  and  the  Publishers  are  glad  of 
the  opportunity  to  make  this  acknowledgment  to  the  author  of 
the  article  referred  to. 

A  similar  acknowledgment  is  due  to  the  late  Colonel  William 
Allan,  of  General  Jackson's  staff,  for  the  use  of  materials  furnished 
in  his  admirable  "  History  of  the  Valley  Campaign." 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  PAOE 

I.  The  Old  English  and  Scotch-Irish  Stock  ...  1 

II.  "  The  Boy  IS  Father  OF  the  Man  " 14 

III.  Four  Years  at  West  Point— 1843-184G 30 

IV.  The  War  With  Mexico— 1846-1848 40 

V.  Ten  Years  in  the  Virginia  Military  Institute 

—1851-1861 51 

VI.  The  Professor— Trip  to  Europe— 1851-1856   .   .  81 

VII.  Second  Marriage— Home  Life— 1857-1858   ...  89 

VIII.  Home  Life  Continued— 185»-1859 112 

IX.  War  Clouds— 1860-1861 13.3 

X.  Harper's  Ferry— 1861 148 

XI.  The  First  Battle  of  Manassas 174 

XII.  Winchester  AND  RoMNEY  Expedition — 1861-1862  203 

XIII.  Kernstown,  McDowell,  and  Winchester— 1863  236 

XIV.  Cross  Keys  and  Port  Republic — 1863 266 

XV.  The  Richmond  Campaign— 1863 289 

XVI.  Cedar  Run  and  the  Second  Battle  op  Manas- 
sas    308 

XVII.  Maryland  Campaign  and  Sharpsburg — 1863    .   .  329 

XVIII.  Home  Joys — Birth  of  a  Daughter  .......  353 

XIX.  The  Battle  of  Fredericksburg 364 

XX.  Winter  Quarters,  Chaplain,  and  Correspond- 
ence—1862-3   381 

XXI. /The  Last  Happy  Days — Chancellorsville    .   .  407 

XXII.  TN  the  Valley  of  the  Shadow — at  Rest  ....  433 


Vlll  CONTENTS. 

SKETCHES. 

PAGE 

1.  A  Chaplain's  Recollections  of  Stonewall  Jackson 

— Chaplain  J.  Wm.  Jones 466 

2.  Reminiscence  op  General  T.  J.  "  Stonewall  "  Jack- 

son— Rev.  James  R.  Graham,  D.  D 485 

3.  Some  Personal  Reminiscences  op  Lt.-Gen.  Thos.  J. 

"  Stonewall  "  Jackson — Maj.-Gen.  Wm.  B.  Talia- 
perro 508 

4.  Personal  Recollections  of  "  Stonewall  "  Jackson 

— Brig.-Gen.  Bradley  T.  Johnson  .    .   .   .  •    ...    527 

5.  General  Jackson — Brig.-Gen.  James  H.  Lane.  .    .   .    534 

6.  Battle  op  Chancellors ville,  Va. — A  Tribute  to 
v^     General   Jackson— Lt. -Col.    Augustus    Choate 

Hamlin 542 

7.  Tribute    to    General  Jackson — Brig.-Gen.    Basil 

Duke 562 

8.  Jackson  the  Hero— Maj.-Gen.  S.  G.  French  ....    566 

9.  Personal    Recollections    of   General  Jackson — 

Maj.-Gen.  Lafayette  McLaws 569 

10.  General  Stonewall  Jackson — Maj.-Gen.  Henry 

Heth 576 

11.  First    Sight    of    Jackson— Brig.-Gen.    Samuel    G. 

McGowAN 577 

12.  "Stonewall"  Jackson's  Place  in  History — Col.  G. 

F.  R.  Henderson 579 

13.  General  Jackson— Viscount  (General)  Wolseley.    601 

14.  Incidenis  in  the  Life    of  Stonewall  Jackson— 

Maj.-Gen.  M.  C.  Butler 605 

1.5.  General  Jackson,  One  of  the  World's  Greatest 

Soldiers- Maj.-Gen.  Fitzhuoh  Lee 607 

16.  Harpers  Ferry— Capt.  Joseph  G.  Morrison  ....    613 

17.  "Stonewall"  Jackson— Col.  F.  W.  M.  Holliday  .  .    621 

18.  Appendix     027 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


General  Thomas  J.  Jackson,  Frontispiece.  page 

Father  of  Stonewall  Jackson 

Birthplace  of  General  Jackson,  Clarksburg,  W.Va..  .     15 

Stonewall  Jackson  at  the  Age  of  24 

The  Virginia  Military  Institute 

Presbyterian  Church  and  Lecture  Room  at  Lexikg- 

„  58 

TON,  VA 

"  Cottage  Home  "—The  Morrison  Homestead 88 

The  Jackson  Dwelling,  Lexington,  Va 107 

Mary  Anna  Jackson,  Wife  of  General  Jackson  ....    148 

172 
"Old  Sorrel       

General  Jackson,  at  the  Battle  of  First  Manassas 

(Bull  Run) ~^^ 

Jackson's  Attack  on  the  Right  Wing  of  the  Federat, 

Army  at  Chancellorsville '"' 

Julia,  Daughter  op  General  Jackson,  at  12  Years  .   .    360 
Julia,  Daughter  of  General  Jackson,  at  16  Years  .   .    360 
Julia,  Daughter  of  General  Jackson,  as  a  Bride  ...    360 
jioNUMENT    Where    Jackson    Fell    at  Chancellors- 
L  ^,  432 

ville,   V  a 

Jackson's  Tomb,  Lexington,  Va ^^"^ 

Prayer  in  Stonewall  Jackson's  Camp ^80 

Some  Relics  of  General  Jackson  in  Mrs.  Jackson's 

„  492 

Home 

Jackson  Commanding  Second  Corps  at  Fredericksburg    526 
Portrait  op  General  Jackson,  Best  Extant 541 


X  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

PAOF. 

Map  op  Battle  op  Chancellorsville 549 

General  Jackson's  Sword 561 

Stonewall  Brigade  Planting  Their  Cannon 590 

A  Charge  and  Capture  op  Federal  Breastworks  at 

Chancellorsville 600 

Statue  of  General  Jackson  at  Lexington,  Va G12 

Statue  of  General  Jackson  at  Richmond,  Va 620 

General  Jackson,  from  a  Medallion  "Worn  by  Mrs. 

Jackson 626 

Foley's  English  Statue  of  Jackson,  Front  View  ...  630 

Foley's  English  Statue  of  Jackson,  Back  View  ....  632 

Julia  Jackson  Christian,  at  4  Years 640 

T.  Jackson  Christian,  at  3  Years 641 


INTRODUCTION. 

Bt  Liktjten ant-General  John  B.  Gordon. 

The  volume  to  which  this  is  intended  as  a  brief 
introduction  has  ah-eady  won  its  way  to  distinction. 
It  is  now  to  be  issued  as  a  second  and  improved 
edition.  The  value  of  this  book,  which  insures  a 
more  complete  understanding  of  "  Stonewall  "  Jack- 
son's life  and  character,  can  scarcely  be  over- 
estimated. Mrs.  Jackson  gives  to  the  world,  in  a 
simple  and  thrilling  story,  a  less  conspicuous  but 
scarcely  less  important  phase  of  the  life  and  char- 
acter of  the  great  warrior.  She  gives  his  domestic 
life,  which  is  the  better  side  of  him,  if  indeed  any 
one  phase  can  be  considered  better  than  another  in 
a  life  like  that  of  General  Jackson,  which  in  every 
sphere  was  wholly  consecrated  to  duty.  From  no 
other  source  could  have  been  obtained  such  informa- 
tion and  data  concerning  one  of  the  most  remark- 
able men  who  has  ever  figured  in  the  history  of  this 
country.  Ilis  career  as  a  soldier  was  brilliant  and 
dazzling.  It  had  neither  the  dimness  of  a  dawn, 
nor  the  fading  of  a  twilight;  but  was  full-orbed 
from  first  to  last.  Yet  the  philosophic  historian 
will  no  longer  consider  the  splendor  of  his  success 
in  war,  without  at  the  same  time  contemplating  the 
simplicity  and  purity  which,  like  a  halo  of  light, 
encircled  his  domestic  and  religious  life. 

To   the   casual  observer  General   Jackson  might 


Xll  INTRODUCTION. 

appear  as  a  man  of  strange  contradictions;  but  such 
a  conception  of  him  would  be  entirely  erroneous. 
There  was  in  all  of  his  mental  and  moral  character- 
istics the  most  perfect  harmony.  The  writer  of  this 
introduction  has  frequently  had  occasion  to  correct 
an  impression,  more  or  less  prevailing,  that  General 
Jackson,  when  upon  his  famous  marches  or  in 
battle,  became  so  intent  upon  victory  as  to  lose 
sight,  in  some  measure,  of  the  sufi'erings  and  lives 
of  his  men.  Nothing  could  be  further  from  the 
truth.  That  he  did,  on  his  forced  marches,  tax  to 
the  utmost  the  strength  and  jDhysical  endurance  of 
his  men  is  undoubtedly  true ;  but  his  object  was  to 
achieve  results  by  surprises  if  possible,  rather  than 
through  hotly  contested  and  bloody  battles  where 
the  enemy  was  fully  prepared ;  and  he  succeeded 
because  he  struck  when  and  where  he  was  least 
expected.  It  is  also  true  that  in  delivering  battle 
his  methods  might  be  regarded  as  almost  reckless 
by  those  who  failed  to  understand  him,  but  what 
seemed  reckless  audacity  was  the  essence  of  prudence. 
His  eye  had  caught  at  a  glance  the  entire  situation, 
and  his  genius,  with  marvellous  celerity  and  accu- 
racy, had  weighed  and  measured  all  the  chances  of 
success  or  failure.  While,  therefore,  others  less 
gifted  or  officially  more  timid  were  hesitating  or 
slowly  feeling  their  way,  by  employing  in  detail 
insufficient  forces,  Jackson,  without  for  one  moment 
doubting  his  success,  hurled  his  whole  army  like  a 
thunderbolt  against  the  ojtposing  lines  and  thus 
ended  the  l)attle  at  a  single  blow.  Tbe  victory  was 
won  at  the  least  possible  cost  of  blood  and  life  to 
his  army. 


INTRODUCTION.  Xlll 

General  Jackson's  conversation  and  bearing  were 
dignified,  natural  and  unassuming.  Few  men  ever 
lived  who  won  so  great  reputation  in  so  short  a 
period  and  yet  remained  so  free  from  the  usual 
weakness  of  personal  vanity.  He  was  essentially 
a  modest  man,  and  yet  his  faith  in  his  own  intuitions 
never  faltered.  When  his  judgment  was  once  made 
up,  his  reliance  upon  it  was  absolute.  He  listene<l 
respectfully  and  patiently  to  suggestions  from  tli(>s(3 
under  his  command,  and  then  courteously  but  firmly 
rejected  them  when  they  conflicted  with  his  own 
unerring  judgment. 

In  issuing  orders  or  giving  verbal  instructions  his 
words  were  few  and  simple ;  but  they  were  so  clear, 
so  comprehensive  and  direct  that  no  officer  could 
possibly  misunderstand  and  none  dared  disobey. 

He  had  at  times  the  aspect  of  an  austere  man;  but 
it  was  only  the  semblance  and  not  the  substance  of 
severity.  Mrs.  Jackson,  in  the  beautiful  picture 
which  she  draws  of  his  most  pronounced  character- 
istics, demonstrates — as  those  who]  know  him  best 
always  realized  —  that  his  nature  was  gentle,  emo- 
tional and  affectionate  and  that  his  sensibilities 
were  both  delicate  and  refined.  His  official  and 
dignified  reserve,  which,  like  an  impenetrable  armor, 
protected  him  from  unseemly  familiarity  and  inquisi-' 
live  meddling  with  his  plans,  was  never  interpreted 
as  coldness  by  those  who  followed  him;  for  they 
knew  that  beneath  that  official  exterior  there  was 
another  Jackson  whose  great  heart  was  beating 
with  ceaseless  and  fraternal  solicitude  for  their  wel- 
fare and  safety;  that  under  that  brow  always  placid, 
even  in  the  fury  of  battles,  there  was    a    mighty 


Xiv  INTllUDUCTION. 

brain  throbbing  with  electric  energy  and  working 
for  their  success  with  the  powder  and  precision  of  the 
most  perfect  machinery.  Hence  he  attached  his 
men  to  him  by  the  strongest  of  ties,  and  aroused 
among  them  wherever  he  appeared  an  enthusiasm 
that  was  boundless. 

It  is  fitting  perhaps  that  General  Jackson's  un- 
ostentatious, sincere  and  deeply  rooted  religious 
faith  should  be  treated  as  his  noblest  and  crowning 
characteristic.  His  trust  in  God  and  reliance  upon 
an  overruling  Providence  permeated  his  thought  and 
guided  his  actions  at  all  times  and  in  all  stations. 
Whether  he  w^as  dispensing  light  and  joy  in  the 
family  circle,  kindling  the  noblest  aspirations  among 
his  pupils  in  the  school-room,  planning  in  his  tent 
his  masterful  strategy  and  praying  for  heavenly 
gnidancd,  or  riding  like  the  incarnate  spirit  of  war 
through  the  storm  of  battle,  his  sublime  faith  never 
faltered. 

In  lookins:  back  over  the  career  of  this  American 
phenomenon,  it  is  diificult  for  the  writer  to  find  his 
counterpart  in  history.  Perhaps  in  quickness  of 
decision  at  the  moment  of  extremity,  in  rapidity  of 
movement,  in  the  originality  and  peculiar  qualities 
of  his  genius.  General  Jackson  more  resembled 
•  Napoleon  Bonaparte  than  any  of  the  great  warriors 
of  the  past.  It  would  l^e  the  rankest  sacrilege  to 
compare,  as  a  man,  the  character  of  Napoleon  to  that 
of  the  matchless  Jackson.  In  this  regard  they  were 
as  wide  apart  as  the  poles.  It  requires,  however, 
neither  the  jtartiality  of  friendship  for  Jackson,  nor 
any  coloring  of  his  record,  to  justify  a  conii»arison 
between  the  two  as  great  military  chieftains.     The 


INTRODUCTION. 


XV 


writer  submits  in  conclusion  that  when  an  unbiased 
and  intelligent  analysis  is  made  of  the  character  of 
"  Stonewall "  Jackson,  of  his  opportunities  and 
resources,  and  of  the  results  achieved  by  him,  he  will 
undoubtedly  be  accorded  in  history  a  commanding 
position  among  the  great  generals  of  the  world. 


introductio:n'  to  first  edition". 


The  time  has  come  when  we  can  do  justice  to 
those  who  were  once  in  arms  against  us.  Our  heroes, 
on  the  one  side  and  on  the  other,  are  nearly  all  gone 
to  the  grave.  As  they  drew  near  the  end,  those  who 
had  been  separated  in  unnatural  strife  felt  the  old 
love  come  back  again,  and  yearned  for  mutual  recog- 
nition. General  Grant,  on  his  death-bed,  opened  his 
heart  to  General  Buckner,  speaking  with  the  utmost 
tenderness  of  the  South,  which  had  suffered  so  much. 
It  was  his  dying  wish  that  all  her  wounds  might 
be  healed ;  and  that  henceforth  the  North  and  the 
South  should  stand  together,  equal  partners  in  one 
glorious  Union.  It  is  only  a  few  months  since  Gen- 
eral Sherman  was  borne  through  our  streets,  and 
among  those  who  followed  at  his  bier  was  his  great 
adversary.  General  Johnston,  who,  by  a  singular  co- 
incidence, survived  him  but  a  few  weeks.  Thus  the 
warriors  who  once  "to  battle  rode"  at  the  head  of 
hostile  armies,  now  fall  into  line  in  the  great  proces- 
sion to  that  reahn  of  silence  in  which  all  enmities  are 
buried. 

In  this  bearing  of  our  great  soldiers  towards  each 


Xviii  INTRODUCTION. 

Other,  they  who  were  "first  in  war"  were  also  "first 
in  peace;"  and  it  were  well  if  they  should  remain 
"first  in  the  hearts  of  their  countrymen,"  as  the 
leaders  whom  we  are  to  follow  in  the  work  of  re- 
union. "  Why,  then,  do  we  recall  the  memories  of  a 
war  that  is  ended,  and  that  had  better  be  forgotten  ? 
Let  the  dead  past  bury  its  dead."  But  out  of  that 
dead  past  comes  the  living  present.  A  great  war 
cannot  be  forgotten.  If  it  were  only  as  a  terrific 
explosion  of  human  passion,  a  tragedy  of  which  all 
the  world  are  spectators — it  would  have  a  terrible 
fascination.  Civil  war  has  a  still  more  tragic  interest, 
as  it  is  a  war  between  brothers,  and,  though  family 
quarrels  are  proverbially  bitter,  yet  all  the  while,  deep 
down  in  our  hearts,  there  is  a  lingering  tenderness 
that  other  times  and  other  scenes  may  awaken  again. 
To  rekindle  this  feeling,  if  it  be  not  the  design  of 
the  present  volume,  cannot  fail  to  be  one  result  of  it. 
It  is  a  poor  reconciliation  which  is  obtained  only  by 
agreeing  never  to  speak  of  the  past.  It  is  the  very 
thing  of  which  we  should  speak,  kindly  indeed,  but 
without  reserve.  Men  who  are  honest  and  brave 
'have  nothing  to  be  ashamed  of  and  nothing  to  con- 
ceal ;  and  the  better  they  know  each  other,  the  more 
will  they  be  drawn  together  by  the  mutual  attraction 
of  noble  characters.  Besides,  the  four  years  of  our  Civil 
"War  were  in  some  respects  the  grandest  since  the 
nation  was  born.  Awful,  terrible,  it  is  true,  but  mag- 
nificent and  sublime.  Then  for  the  first  time  the 
American  people  learned  what  stuff  they  were  made 


INTRODCCTIOX.  xix 

of.  For  the  development  of  character  those  four 
years  were  better  than  a  hundred  years  of  unbroken 
prosperity.  Better  than  all  the  summer  sunshine  on 
ripening  harvests  were  the  thunders  and  lightnings 
that  woke  a  nation  to  hfe,  and  gave  it  the  full  con- 
sciousness of  its  jwwer.  Never  did  our  countrymen 
rise  to  such  heights  of  courage  and  devotion.  Never 
did  they  perform  such  deeds,  or  make  such  sacrifices. 
We  must  be  sunk  low  indeed  if  we  are  capable  of 
forgetting  the  most  splendid  period  of  American 
history. 

Nor  would  we  have  our  annals  limited  to  those 
who  fought  on  the  side  that  was  victorious.  A  na- 
tion's life  is  counted  not  by  years,  but  by  genera- 
tions. A  generation  that  was  distinguished  by  its 
wars  is  followed  by  one  that  is  devoted  to  the  arts 
of  peace;  and  sons  may  be  proud  of  the  deeds  of 
their  fathers,  and  yet  not  think  it  a  part  of  loyalty 
to  keep  alive  their  hatreds.  Indeed,  there  comes  a 
time  when  the  great  figures  that  pass  before  us  on 
the  canvas  of  history  are  so  blended  that  we  hard- 
ly distinguish  friends  from  foes,  but  recognize  them 
all  as  actors  in  a  time  that  is  forever  i)ast.  And 
so  we  can  read  the  story  of  Lee  and  of  Jackson 
with  no  wish  to  depreciate  their  greatness,  but 
claiming  it  as  belonging  to  us,  since,  if  they  were 
Southerners,  they  were  also  Americans,  and  their 
illustrious  names  are  a  part  of  our  common  inheri- 
tance of  glory.  Therefore  it  is  that  we  welcome  a 
tale  of  war  which  mav  be  said  to  be  told  in  the  in- 


XX  INTRODUCTION. 

terest  of  peace,  as  it  describes  a  career  that  illustrates 
some  of  the  noblest  qualities  of  human  character. 
Believing  that  a  generous  recognition  of  what  was 
true  and  brave  on  both  sides  is  the  surest  pledge  of 
complete  reconciliation,  I  count  it  a  privilege  to 
have  a  part,  however  slight,  in  this  tribute  to  a 
Christian  soldier,  who,  if  he  were  "  not  with  us  but 
against  us,"  showed  such  high  qualities,  such  power 
of  command,  such  fortitude,  and  such  true  moral 
greatness,  as  to  be  worthy  of  the  honor  of  us  all. 

Stonewall  Jackson  was  the  most  picturesque  figure 
in  the  war.  Not  so  high  in  command  as  General 
Lee  on  the  one  side,  or  General  Grant  on  the  other, 
neither  had  a  personality  so  unique.  In  Jackson 
there  were  two  men  in  one  :  he  united  qualities  that 
are  not  only  alien  to  each  other,  but  that  seem  almost 
incompatible — military  genius  of  the  highest  order 
with  a  religious  fervor  that  bordered  on  fanaticism ;  a 
union  of  the  soldier  and  the  saint  for  which  wc  must 
go  back  to  the  time  of  Cromwell.  A  thunderbolt  in 
war,  he  was  in  society  so  modest  and  unassuming  as 
to  appear  even  shy  and  timid.  A  character  in  which 
such  contradictions  are  combined  is  one  of  the  most 
fascinating  studies  to  be  found  in  American  history. 

One  view  of  this  extraordinary  man  has  already 
been  given  to  the  world.  In  the  great  operations  of 
war  he  was  a  character  apart ;  a  man  of  mystery ; 
silent  and  uncommunicative;  wrapping  liimself  in  his 
reserve  as  in  amihtary  cloak;  asking  no  advice;  form- 
ing his  own  plans,  which  those  nearest  to  him  could 


INTRODUCTION.  XXI 

not  penetrate  and  hardly  dared  to  conjecture,  and 
which  were  disclosed  even  to  his  military  family  only 
when  he  grave  his  orders  for  the  march  and  the  battle. 
Such  is  Stonewall  Jackson  as  his  martial  figure  passes 
before  us  on  the  canvas  of  history. 

But  such  is  not  the  figure  which  it  is  the  purpose  of 
this  volume  to  portray.  The  author  has  no  thought  of 
adding:  one  more  to  the  histories  of  the  militarv  career 
of  General  Jackson.  That  has  been  written  by  his  old 
companions  in  arms,  and  by  military  critics  at  home 
and  abroad  who  have  made  a  study  of  his  campaigns, 
following  on  the  map  those  rapid  marches  in  which  he 
was  not  surpassed  by  Napoleon  in  his  first  campaigns 
in  Italy  ;  and  finding  in  his  peculiar  strategy  enough 
to  give  him  a  place  among  the  great  captains  of  the 
age. 

But  with  Jackson,  as  with  others  w^ho  have  acted  a 
great  part  in  public  affairs,  there  was  another  side  to 
the  man  —  an  inner  life,  known  but  to  few,  and  fully 
known  only  to  hei*  who  was  united  to  him  in  the  -| 
closest  of  all  human  relations.  Of  the  war  itself  she 
has  but  little  to  tell  us  ;  for  he  did  not  confide  his 
plans  even  to  her.  It  was  not  that  he  distrusted  her 
womanly  discretion ;  but,  in  the  midst  of  thousands  of 
watchful  eyes,  had  he  disclosed  to  her  the  dangers  into 
which  he  was  going,  her  cheek  might  have  blanched 
with  fear,  or  a  shade  of  anxiety  passed  over  her 
countenance  that  would  have  set  all  to  wondering 
what  it  meant.  Only  when  he  signified  that  she 
should  retire  to  a  place  of  safety  had  she  a  forebod- 


XXll  INTRODUCTION. 

ing  of  what  was  to  come ;  though  she  knew  not  in 
what  direction  he  was  to  move,  nor  how,  nor  when, 
nor  where  he  was  to  strike.  But,  with  a  woman's  loy- 
alty to  her  husband  and  her  faith  in  God,  she  was 
content  not  to  know,  and  prayed  only  for  the  gift 
of  patience  as  she  waited  for  the  event. 

But  when  the  battle  was  over,  then  the  tidings 
came !  Now  we  expect  to  know  everything  from  the 
chief  actor.  But  again  we  are  disappointed,  for  in  his 
letters,  even  Avhen  written  from  a  field  of  battle,  there 
is  no  attempt  to  describe  it,  and  hardly  an  allusion  to 
it,  except  in  a  general  way,  in  the  expression  that  often 
recurs  in  his  letters,  that  "  by  the  blessing  of  Almighty 
God  their  arms  have  been  crowned  with  victory." 

But  this  extreme  reticence,  which  at  first  is  a  disap- 
pointment, when  looked  at  a  little  more  closely  is  a 
revelation  of  the  man,  as  it  shows  the  supreme  self- 
command,  which  could  turn  at  once  from  the  terrible 
excitement  of  war  and  direct  his  thoughts  into  a 
channel  so  remote  that  it  carried  him  quite  away  in 
an  opposite  direction.  While  tlie  battle  raged  he  sat 
on  his  horse  unmoved  in  the  very  front  of  danger ;  but 
when  the  crisis  was  past,  and  he  could  be  s]:)ared  from 
the  field,  even  though  the  thunders  were  still  rolling 
in  the  distance,  he  rode  back  with  the  tension  of  his 
mind  relaxed,  and  entering  his  tent,  "  shut  to  the 
door,"  and  calmed  his  spirit  in  the  i)resence  of  God. 

Kext  to  the  acknowledgment  of  liis  Maker  was  the 
thought  of  home,  and  of  the  young  mother  with  his 
child  in  her  arms  !     The  man  of  war  was  at  the  same 


INTRODUCTION.  xxiii 

time  the  most  domestic  of  men.  All  his  heart  was 
centred  in  one  spot.  Many  who  read  these  pages  will 
be  surprised  at  the  revelation  of  his  passionate  love  of 
home,  to  which  he  was  eager  to  return,  though  he  was 
never  to  cross  its  threshold  again.  While  the  world 
saw  only  the  soldier  with  a  coat  of  mail  over  his 
breast,  those  who  kne\v  him  best  saw  under  it  a  great 
human  heart.  Above  all,  to  her  who  looked  up  in  his 
face  with  perfect  trust  and  confidence,  that  face  was 
open  as  the  day.  To  her  this  man  of  iron  was  the 
gentlest  and  tenderest  of  human  beings ;  whose  first 
thought  was  always  for  her;  whose  strong  arm  guard- 
ed her  from  harm  ;  who  would  not  '-  that  even  the 
winds  of  summer  should  visit  her  too  roughly." 

Such  devotion  cannot  be  forgotten  even  after  the 
lapse  of  a  quarter  of  a  century.     Still  the  yearning 
heart   turns   fondly  to  the   past.     Still  the  faithful 
bosom  carries  within  it  a  great  memory  and  a  great 
affection.     As  she  looks  back  through  the  mist  of 
years,  she  sees  not  the  military  hero,  the  idol  of  the 
army,  riding  down  the  line  of  battle,  but  the  husband 
of  her  youth,  still  the  same.     In  her  quiet  hours,  as 
she  sits  by  her  desolate  fireside,  the  old  days  come 
again,  and  they  are  once  more  in  the  home  that  was 
always  made  bright  by  the  sunshine  of  his  presence. 
They  sit  round  the  old  hearthstone,  and  kneel  to- 
gether in  prayer,  and  walk  to  the  house  of  God  in 
company. 

Filled  with  such  memories,  it  is  but  the  impulse  of 
loyalty  to  the  dead  that  she  should  Avish  that  others 


xxiv  INTRODUCTION'. 

should  know  him  whose  name  she  bears  as  she  knew 
him  ;  that  the  world  should  appreciate  not  only  the 
soldier,  but  the  man  ;  that  they  should  know  all  the 
gentleness  and  the  tenderness  that  were  in  that  lion 
heart.  This  is  revealed  nowhere  so  fully  as  in  his 
letters  to  her  during  the  war,  which  those  who  have 
been  permitted  to  see  them  privately  have  earnestly 
requested  to  have  given  to  the  public.  If  to  any  they 
seem  too  personal,  I  answer,  that  thev  are  not  to  be 
judged  coldly  and  critically,  but  with  the  sympathetic 
feeling  of  those  who  are  themselves  capable  of  such 
tenderness ;  and  I  have  met  the  womanly  shyness  and 
timidity  that  shrank  from  this  "unveiling,"  by  saying, 
"  Yes,  you  can  leave  it  all  out,  and  in  every  case  you 
can  replace  the  word  of  endearment  by  a  blank ;  but 
every  time  you  do  this  you  leave  out  a  touch  of 
Stonewall  Jackson,  for  this  fond  devotion,  this  ex- 
quisite tenderness,  ^vas  a  part  of  the  man  as  truly  as 
his  military  genius.  Sacred,  indeed,  are  these  words 
of  the  dead,  but  nothing  is  too  sacred  to  be  devoted 
to  such  a  memory."  Knowing,  as  she  only  can  know, 
all  his  worth — that  he  was  not  only  strong  and  brave, 
but  tender  and  true,  with  a  heart  as  soft  as  her  own, 
and  that  the  nearer  men  came  to  him  the  more  they 
loved  him — she  is  right  to  let  him  speak  for  himself 
in  these  gentle  Avords  that  are  whispered  from  the 
dust.  And  sure  we  are  that  those  who  have  read  all  the 
great  histories  of  the  war  will  turn  with  fresh  interest 
to  this  simple  story,  written  out  of  a  wonian's  heart. 

IIexky  M.  Field. 


LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

OF 

GENERAL  THOMAS  J.JACKSON 


CHAPTEE   I. 

THE   OLD   ENGLISH  AND   SCOTCH-IRISH   STOCK. 

In  the  year  1748  a  ship  sailed  from  the  coast  of 
England,  bearing  a  number  of  passengers  who  were 
seeking  new  homes  in  the  British  colonies  of  Amer- 
ica. In  this  vessel  were  a  young  man  and  a  young 
woman,  both  from  the  city  of  London,  but  who  were 
probably  unknown  to  each  other  when  they  embarked 
for  the  strange  land  to  which  they  were  bound. 

The  young  man,  John  Jackson,  was  about  twenty- 
three  years  of  age,  and  was  endowed  with  many  of 
the  qualities  which  insure  success  in  life— being  true 
and  upright,  active  and  energetic,  of  quiet  but  deter- 
mined character ;  and  he  needed  only  the  helj)  of  the 
noble  woman  whom  God  gave  him  as  a  wife  to  make 
his  home  in  the  forest  a  happy  and  prosperous  one. 
He  was  small  of  stature,  but  of  good  mind  and  sound 
judgment,  and  left  the  impress  upon  his  generation  of 
great  goodness,  industry,  and  tranquil  courage.  He 
was  of  Scotch  -  Irish  descent,  and  when,  fifty  years 
after  he  left  England,  his  eldest  son,  George  Jackson, 
1 


2  LIFE  OF   GENERAL    THOMAS   J.  JACKSOX, 

was  a  member  of  Cono-ress  at  the  same  time  that 
Andrew  Jackson  was  Senator  from  Tennessee,  they 
found,  on  comparing  notes,  that  their  ancestors  came 
from  the  same  parish  near  Londonderry. 

Ehzabeth  Cummins,  the  young  woman  who  was  the 
fellow -passenger  of  John  Jackson,  was  a  handsome 
blonde,  with  the  stature  of  a  man,  six  feet  in  height, 
and  as  remarkable  for  strength  of  intellect  as  for 
beauty  and  physical  vigor.  She  was  well  educated, 
her  fatlier  liaving  been  in  sufficiently  easy  circum- 
stances to  own  and  rent  out  a  public-house  in  Lon- 
don called  "  The  Bold  Dragoon,"'  from  which  he  de- 
rived a  good  income,  and  he  was  supposed  to  own 
landed  estates  in  Ireland.  After  his  death,  his  widow 
married  her  brother-in-law^ — a  marriage  which  was  so 
re])ulsive  to  her  daughter  that  she  could  not  become 
reconciled  to  it.  Her  step-father,  who  was  also  her 
uncle,  one  day  aroused  her  indignation  to  such  a 
pitch  that  with  her  powerful  arm  she  hui'led  a  silver 
tankard  at  his  head,  and  then  fled  from  hov  home. 
She  scarcely  missed  her  aim,  it  is  sup])()sed,  vfor,  young 
as  she  was — not  more  than  fifteen  or  sixteen — she  was 
not  of  a  nature  to  do  things  by  halves.  However,  the 
unfortunate  man  must  have  recovered  from  the  broken 
head,  or  family  tradition  would  have  recorded  his 
death.  It  was  the  custom  at  that  time  for  emigrants 
who  had  not  the  means  of  paying  for  their  passage 
across  tlie  Atlantic  to  bind  themselves  for  a  certain 
term  of  service  on  reaching  the  colonies.  As  the  cir- 
cumstances of  Elizabeth's  flight  made  it  impossible 
for  her  to  procure  money  for  her  journey,  slie  proved 
her  heroism  by  adopting  this  mode  of  escaping  from 
a  life  which  had  become  intolerable  to  her. 


THE   OLD   ENGLISH   STOCK.  3 

John  Jackson  was  so  captivated  with  this  stately 
Saxon  beauty,  that  he  eagerly  offered  her  his  heart, 
his  hand,  and  his  purse,  but  she  proudly  refused  his 
assistance.  During  the  voyage  she  formed  the  friend- 
ship of  a  family  bound  for  Maryland,  and  accepted 
their  offer  of  a  home  and  employment,  and  thus  earned 
the  money  to  pay  her  passage.  John  Jackson's  devo- 
tion, however,  made  an  impression  upon  her  heart, 
and  a  year  or  two  later  they  were  married  in  Calvert 
County,  Maryland,  he  also  having  settled  in  the  pos- 
sessions of  Lord  Baltimore  upon  his  arrival  in  the 
New  World.  It  is  natural  to  suppose  that  Elizabeth 
was  the  magnet  that  kept  him  from  wandering  farther 
until  he  succeeded  in  winning  her  for  his  wife.  The 
young  couple,  in  their  desire  to  find  new  and  cheaper 
lands,  moved  at  once  to  Western  Virginia,  and  made 
their  first  home  upon  the  south  branch  of  the  Poto- 
mac, at  the  place  now  known  as  Moorfields,  the  county 
seat  of  Hardy  County.  But  after  a  short  residence  in 
this  beautiful  valley,  the  enterprising  spirit  of  the  pair 
led  them  to  seek  broader  lands,  and  the}'^  crossed  the 
Alleghany  ridge,  and  settled  upon  the  Buckhannon 
River,  at  a  place  which  was  long  known  as  Jackson's 
Fort,  but  is  now  the  little  village  of  Buckhannon, 
Here,  surrounded  by  the  Indian  tribes,  who  were  stiU 
contending  with  the  whites  for  the  possession  of  the 
lands,  the  settlers  were  often  attacked  by  these  treach- 
erous foes.  For  tlieir  protection  the  whites  were  com- 
pelled to  build  stockade  forts,  to  which  they  fled  with 
their  families  in  times  of  danger.  Tradition  has  pre- 
served many  instances  of  the  intrepid  spirit  which 
Elizabeth  Jackson  displayed  on  these  occasions.  She 
never  quailed  at  the  sound  of  the  war-whoop,  and  her 


4:       LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

voice  was  heard,  not  only  in  soothing  and  cheering 
the  women  and  children,  but  in  inspiring  the  men  to 
heroic  resistance. 

When  the  American  Eevolution  broke  out  in  1775, 
John  Jackson  and  his  older  sons  bore  their  part  in  it 
as  soldiers,  and  at  its  close  returned  to  their  homes 
and  devoted  themselves  to  the  improvement  of  their 
fortunes.  The  patriarch,  John,  and  his  true  help- 
meet, Elizabeth,  by  their  sagacity  and  industry  ac- 
quired the  most  valuable  lands  of  the  country,  and 
were  enabled  to  endow  each  one  of  their  eight  chil- 
dren with  a  farm.  Indeed,  it  is  said  that  several 
patents  are  still  in  existence,  transmitted  to  Elizabeth 
Jackson,  in  her  own  name — lands  which  proved  valu- 
able property  to  her  descendants.  Their  eldest  son 
was  Colonel  George  Jackson,  who  lived  at  Clarks- 
burg, Harrison  County,  and  who  received  his  title 
in  the  Revolutionary  war.  He  represented  his  State  in 
the  General  Assembly  of  Virginia,  and  also  in  Congress. 
After  the  death  of  his  father  he  removed  to  Zanesville, 
Ohio,  where  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life. 

The  second  son  was  Edward,  the  grandfather  of  the 
subject  of  this  memoir.  He  made  his  home  in  Lewis 
County,  about  four  miles  from  the  village  of  Weston, 
and  was  a  vigorous  and  energetic  man,  esteemed  and 
beloved,  and  for  a  long  time  was  surveyor  of  that 
region  of  country — a  business  that  was  very  lucrative 
in  those  early  days,  and  he  acquired  a  largo  estate. 
He  first  married  a  Miss  Hadden,  by  whom  he  liad  thi-ee 
sons,  George,  David,  and  Jonathan,  and  three  daugh- 
ters, of  whom  one  married  a  man  named  White,  and 
the  other  two  married  brothers  of  the  name  of  Brake. 

A  second  marriage  added  to  his  family  nine  more 


DEATH    OF   THE   OLD    PIONEER.  5 

sons  and  daughters,  among  wliom  was  Cummins,  the 
kind  half-iinele  who  befriended  Thomas  J.  Jackson  in 
his  youth,  and  the  only  one,  so  far  as  we  know,  that 
had  much  to  do  with  his  early  life. 

In  their  declining  years  the  old  couple,  John  and 
Elizabeth  Jackson,  removed  to  the  town  of  Clarks- 
burg, to  be  near  their  eldest  son,  George,  and  the  death 
of  the  aged  sire  is  thus  described  by  his  grandson, 
John  G.  Jackson,  in  a  letter  to  Mrs.  President  Madi- 
son, whose  sister  he  had  married  in  1801 : 

"  Death,  on  the  25th  of  September,  put  a  period  to 
the  existence  of  my  aged  grandfather,  John  Jackson, 
in  the  eighty-sixth  year  of  his  age.  The  long  life  of 
this  good  man  was  spent  in  those  noble  and  virtuous 
pursuits  which  endear  men  to  their  acquaintance,  and 
make  their  decease  sincerely  regretted  by  all  the  good 
and  virtuous.  He  was  a  native  of  England,  and  mi- 
grated hither  in  the  year  IT-IS.  He  took  an  active 
part  in  the  Revolutionary  war  in  favor  of  indepen- 
dence, and,  upon  the  establishment  of  it,  returned  to 
his  farming,  which  he  laboriously  pursued  until  the 
marriage  of  his  youngest  son,  when  he  was  prevailed 
upon  by  my  father  to  come  and  reside  near  him ;  there 
he  lived  several  years  with  his  wife,  enjoying  all  his 
mental  faculties  and  great  corporeal  strength,  until  a 
few  days  before  his  death.  I  saw  him  breathe  his  last 
in  the  arms  of  my  aged  grandmother,  and  can  truly 
add,  that  to  live  and  die  as  he  did  would  be  the  ex- 
cess of  happiness.  He  left  a  valuable  estate  at  the  en- 
tire disposal  of  the  widow,  with  the  concurrence  of  all 
the  natural  heirs,  as  his  liberality  had  been  amply  ex- 
perienced by  them  all  in  his  lifetime." 


Q  LIFE   OF    (JENERAL   THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

The  stouHiearted  wife  of  bis  youth  survived  him 
•  until  1825,  living  to  the  extreme  age  of  one  hundred 
and  five  yearfi !  A  great-granddaughter  describes  her 
at  the  age  of  a  centurv  as  being  well  preserved  and 
very  interesting,  and  greatly  beloved  and  revered  by 
her  long  line  of  descendants. 

By  her  rare  physical  and  intellectual  stamina,  this 
remarkable  woman  was  fitted  to  be  the  mother  of  a 
string  and  noble  race  ;  and  those  of  her  descendants 
who  have  met  with  any  success  in  life  have  shown  the 
same  clear  intellect,  sterling  integrity,  and  force  of 
will.     The  house  of  Jackson  has  much  to  be  thankful 
for  in  both  of  these  pioneer  progenitors,  for  John  Jack- 
son himself,  according  to  tradition,  was  the  equal  of 
his  wife  in  uprightness,  energy,  and  courage.     General 
Jackson  always  had  a  pride  in  his  ancestry,  and  wished 
that  the  high  character  of  the  fathers  should  be  per- 
petuated in  their  descendants.     Before  the  war,  when 
one  of  his  relatives  was  a  candidate  for  some  political 
office,  he  took  the  liveliest  interest  in  his  election,  and 
wrote  several  letters  in  his  behalf,  one  to  his  cousin. 
Judge  William  L.  Jackson  (at  that  time  Lieutenant- 
Governor  of  Virginia),  urging  his  support,  and  saying ; 
"  I  am  most  anxious  to  see  our  family  enjoying  that 
high  standard  and  influence  which  it  possessed  in  days 
of  yore."     He  always  said  his  Jackson  relations  were 
very  clannish,  and  he  himself  was  warm  in  his  family 
attachments,  taking  an  interest  in  every  worthy  ])erson 
who  had  a  drop  of  his  blood  in  his  veins. 

One  of  the  most  distinguished  sons  of  the  house  was 
John  G.  Jackson,  of  Clarksburg,  the  eldest  son  of 
Colonel  George  Jackson.  He  was  an  eminent  lawyer, 
succeeded  his  father  in  Congress,  and  \vas  appointed 


JUDGE   .lACKSUX.  7 

the  first  Federal  Judge  of  the  Western  District  of 
Virginia.  He  married  Miss  Payne,  sister  of  "  pretty 
Dolly  Madison,"  the  rauch-admired  wife  of  President 
James  Madison.*  A  second  wife  was  the  only  daugh- 
ter of  Governor  Meigs,  of  Ohio.  He  died  in  the  prime 
of  life  in  the  same  year  with  his  venerable  grand- 
mother, .1825,  aged  forty-eight  years. 


*  The  following  letter  from  Mrs.  President  Madison  to  Judge 
Jackson,  expressing  herself  in  regard  to  the  illness  of  her  sister 
(his  wife),  will  be  of  interest : 

"Washingtox,  D.  C,  January  12th,  1807. 

"  Oh,  my  dear  brother,  your  letter  has  plunged  me  in  the  deepest 
distress  I  Wliat  can  I  do  for  that  beloved  sister  whose  image  and 
whose  sufi'erings,  I  can  say  with  truth,  have  never  for  an  hour 
been  absent  from  my  mind  ?  Week  after  week  have  I  looked  and 
prepared  to  receive  and  to  nurse  my  dear  Polly,  and  now,  alas!  she 
is  too  ill  [for  me]  to  expect  at  all.  I  have  consulted  everj^body,  my 
dear  Jackson,  whosejudgment  I  could  trust,  and  have  been  flattered 
with  the  hope,  from  them  and  my  own  opinion,  that  she  would  get 
well.    Oh  that  Heaven  may  spai'e  her  to  you  and  to  us,  my  brotlier  ! 

"  I  send  you  Doctor  Jones's  letter,  whom  I  have  seen  and  con- 
versed with  a  great  deal. — You  cannot  doubt  your  sister's  love  for 
you,  and  her  soul-felt  sympathy. 

"Hasten  to  tell  me  your  hopes  are  revived,  and  that  I  may  j'et 
see  you  leading  to  us  my  precious  sister  and  your  children.  How 
dreary,  how  forlorn,  does  this  w^orld  appear  without  you  all  I  I 
cannot  express  to  you  the  desolation  that  seems  to  surround  me 
since  I  received  yours  of  the  7th. 

"All  here  is  bustle  and  confusion,  on  account  of  Rose's  arrival, 
the  quarrels  in  Congress,  and  the  multitude  of  strangers;  but  it 
falls  upon  my  senses  like  the  gloom  of  death  ! 

"I  hope  Mr.  Madison  will  get  time  to  write  to  you.  I  feel 
scarcely  able  to  hold  my  pen.  Prepare  for  the  next  post,  and 
tell  me  of  your  sweet  little  3Iary  also. 

"  Ever  your  aftcctionate  sister,  Dolly  P.  Madison. 

"Anna  is  well,  and  feels  for  you  as  she  ought.     Adieu." 


y        LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

The  other  sons  of  Colonel  George  were  Edward,  a 
physician ;  William  L.,  a  lawyer,  and  father  of  the 
judge  of  the  same  name  (now  living  in  Louisville, 
Ky.) ;  and  George  Washington,  the  father  of  Colonel 
Alfred  H.  Jackson,  who  was  a  staff-officer  of  General 
Jackson,  was  mortally  wounded  at  the  battle  of  Cedar 
Run,  and  lies  buried  near  his  beloved  commander  in 
the  cemetery  at  Lexington,  Virginia. 

Jonathan  Jackson,  son  of  Edward,  and  the  father  of 
Thomas  Jonathan,  like  his  grandfather,  John,  was  a 
man  of  short  stature.  There  is  a  beautiful  miniature 
of  him,  representing  an  open,  pleasing  face,  blue  eyes, 
and  handsome  mouth.  He  was  a  lawyer,  having 
studied  his  profession  with  his  distinguished  cousin. 
Judge  John  G.  Jackson,  whose  patronage  induced  him 
to  settle  at  Clarksburg,  and  soon  afterwards  he  mar- 
ried Julia  Beckwith  Neale,  the  daughter  of  a  merchant 
of  Parkersburg. 

The  following  facts  relative  to  the  Neale  family  and 
also  to  Jonathan  Jackson  were  furnished  by  Dr.  David 
Creel,  a  connection  of  the  Neales ;  and  as  they  were 
written  in  his  ninety-first  year,  this,  together  witii  his 
quaint  style,  will  add  to  their  interest.  He  died  at 
Ciiillicothe,  Ohio,  only  a  few  yeai'S  ago.  It  appears 
that  General  liobert  E.  Lee  had  had  some  correspond- 
ence with  him  about  the  history  of  Gene'^al  Jackson. 
He  wrote : 

"The  Clarksburg  Male  Academy  was  conducted 
solely  by  George  Torvis,  an  old  Englishman,  a  thor- 
ough scholar  with  long  experience  as  a  teacher. 
Among  the  pupils  we  found  two  noble  and  highly 
promising  young  men — Edward,  son  of  George  Jack- 


EDWARD   AND   JON  ATI!  A\   JACKSON.  9 

son,  and  Jonathan,  son  of  Edward  Jackson,  senior. 
These  fathers  were  brothers,  and  among  the  pioneers 
of  the  country  some  time  before  the  Indians  had  re- 
tired, so  as  to  give  assurance  of  peace  and  freedom 
from  danger,  and  soon  became  wealthy  and  indepen- 
dent farmers  of  high  standing  and  respectability. 
While  at  school  with  these  young  men,  a  mutual  at- 
tachment was  created,  which  was  warmly  cherished, 
and  became  stronger  and  more  endearing  while  they 
lived,  and  sincerely  lamented  when  they  both  died  in 
the  prime  of  life.  Edward  Jackson,  after  leaving 
school,  studied  medicine,  and  Jonathan  Jackson  read 
law.  Both  attained  to  some  degree  of  eminence  in 
their  respective  professions,  with  the  esteem,  confi- 
dence, and  good  wishes  of  all  who  knew  them.'' 

It  is  said  that  these  young  cousins,  who  were  as 
brothers  at  school,  in  manhood  became  rival  suitors 
for  the  hand  of  Julia  Neale,  Jonathan  carrj'ing  off 
the  prize. 

"  In  paying  the  soldiers  of  the  county  of  Harrison 
in  the  war  of  1812,  one  or  two  of  them,  in  consequence 
of  sickness,  did  not  receive  their  pay  ;  but  soon  after- 
wards their  friend,  Jonathan  Jackson,  presented  their 
claims  and  got  from  us  the  money  for  them.  This 
was  about  the  fall  of  1813,  at  which  time  he  was  suc- 
cessfully engaged  in  the  practice  of  law.  He  was  also 
excise  master,  or  United  States  revenue  officer  of  the 
county." 

Dr.  Creel  continues  his  account  of  the  Xeale 
family  : 


10       LIFE  OF  GEXEKAr.  THOMAS  J.  JACKSOX. 

"  In  the  early  part  of  the  nineteenth  century,  George 
Lewis  and  two  brothers,  George  and  Tiionuis  Xeale, 
remov^ed  from  the  county  of  Loudon  to  Wood  Coun- 
ty, in  "Western  Virginia.  George  Lewis  purchased  a 
large  tract  of  land  lying  on  the  Ohio  lliver,  six  miles 
from  Parkersburg,  which  had  been  located  by  Gen- 
eral Washington,  and  left  by  his  will  to  one  of  his 
legatees.  George  Keale,  wiio  had  married  one  of  his 
daughters,  purchased  several  hundred  acres  of  land 
from  his  father-in-law,  and  in  a  few  years  became  a 
wealthy  and  independent  farmer,  respected  and  l^e- 
loved  for  his  noble  attributes  of  character.  Thomas 
N'eale  (the  maternal  grandfather  of  General  Jackson) 
married  Margaret  Winn,  the  daughter  of  Minor  Winn, 
wlio  resided  on  the  west  side  of  Bull  Run  Mountain, 
only  a  few  miles  from  where  the  first  battle  was 
fought  in  the  late  war.  He  located  in  Parkersburo- 
and  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business,  and  had  a 
family  of  five  children — two  daughters,  Harriet  and 
Julia,  and  three  sons,  Alfred,  Minor,  and  William. 
After  our  return  home  from  the  Academy  at  Clarks- 
burg, we  commenced  teaching  school  in  the  village  of 
Parkersburg,  and  among  the  pupils  were  three  of 
Tiiomas  Xeale's  children — Harriet,  Julia,  and  his  old- 
est son,  Alfred.  Of  Julia  we  desire  to  speak  particu- 
larly, not  only  because  she  was  our  great  favorite,  but 
especially  because  of  her  connection  with  the  history 
of  Jonathan  Jackson,  who  became  her  husband,  and 
the  father  of  Thomas  .Jonathan  Jackson. 

"  When  Julia  Neale  became  oui'  ])upil,  she  was  about 
tiiirteon  years  old,  endowed  with  a  good  natural  mind, 
soon  acquired  the  iiabit  of  close  ai)plication,  and  gave 
us  no  trouble  in  her  recitations.     She  was  rather  a  bru- 


JONATHAN    JACKSON'.  H 

nette,  with  dark  -  brown  hair,  dark  -  gray  eyes,  hand- 
some face,  and,  when  at  maturity,  of  medium  heiglit 
and  symmetrical  form.  And  now,  at  the  close  of  our 
ninety-first  year,  we  still  in  memory  behold  her  as 
standing  before  us  reciting  her  lessons  with  a  pleas- 
ant smile;  and  also  in  the  maturity  of  womanhood, 
when  her  affianced  lord  came  to  pay  her  that  hom- 
age which  soon  terminated  in  a  matrimonial  alliance. 
.  .  .  General  Lee,  in  his  kind  letter  to  us,  was  })leased  to 
express  the  belief  that  this  extraordinary  man, '  Stone- 
wall '  Jackson,  was  indebted  to  us,  more  or  less,  as  the 
instructor  of  his  mother." 

/ 

Jonathan  Jackson  began  housekeeping  with  his 
young  wife  in  a  neat  brick  cottage  of  three  rooms, 
w^iich  he  built  for  a  law  office,  intending  in  the  future 
to  erect  a  more  commodious  dwelling  for  his  family 
on  the  front  of  the  large,  grassy  lot.  But  his  pecun- 
iary misfortunes  and  untimely  death  prevented  the 
realization  of  this  hope.  His  four  children  were  all 
born  in  the  cottage,  and  it  was  preserved  as  the  birth- 
place of  General  Jackson  until  a  few  years  since, 
Avhen  the  lot  became  so  valuable  with  the  growth  of 
the  town  that  the  owner  tore  down  the  little  cottage, 
and  built  a  business  house  upon  the  ground. 

Jonathan  was  a  successful  lawyer,  es})eciall\^  as  a 
pleader  in  the  chancery  courts,  and  with  the  comfort- 
able patrimony  which  he  had  inherited  from  his 
father  he  had  a  promising  future  ;  but,  being  of  a 
free,  generous,  and  incautious  nature,  he  became  deep- 
ly involved  by  giving  security  for  others,  and  when 
he  was  cut  down  in  the  meridian  of  life  every  vestige 
of  his  property  was  swept  away.     He  was  an  affec- 


12      LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

tionate  and  devoted  husband  and  father,  and  lost  his 
life  by  a  malignant  fever  which  he  contracted  in  nurs- 
ing his  eldest  child,  Elizabeth,  who  diqd  of  the  same 
disease  two  weeks  before  her  fathery  The  three 
children  that  survived  him  were  Warren,  Thomas 
Jonathan,  and  Laura.  His  son  Thomas,  after  reach- 
ing the  ag-e  of  manhood,  erected  monuments  over  the 
graves  of  his  father  and  little  sister  in  the  cemetery 
at  Clarksburg. 

Clarksburg  is  a  pretty  and  thriving  town,  situated 
in  a  picturesque  country,  and  some  of  the  Jackson 
family  still  live  there  and  keep  up  the  name  with 
credit  and  honor.  At  Parkersburg  also  are  found 
many  qf  General  Jackson's  kindred  on  both  sides  of 
the  house,  who  are  noted  for  their  enterprise,  cultiva- 
tion, and  warm-hearted  hospitality. 

Several  members  of  Edward  Jackson's  large  family, 
in  physical  stature,  showed  what  they  inherited  from 
their  grandmother,  Elizabeth  Cummins. 

One  of  her  descendants,  who  bore  the  singular  name 
of  Return  Meigs,  was  six  feet  and  seven  inches  in 
height,  and  was  proportionately  strong  and  powerful. 
There  is  a  little  romance  in  the  family  about  the  way 
he  got  his  name.  When  his  father  was  engaged  to 
be  married,  an  unfortunate  misunderstanding  led  to 
a  temporary  separation,  which  weighed  so  hard  on  the 
disconsolate  lover  that  when  the  object  of  his  devo- 
tion relented  and  said.  "  Return,  Meigs,"  he  declared 
those  were  the  sweetest  words  that  ever  fell  upon  his 
ears,  and  he  therefore  commemorated  his  crowning 
luij^piness  by  giving  his  first  son  tliis  unique  name. 

Cummins  Jackson  was  also  of  lofty  stature,  and  was 
noted  for  his  herculean  strength,  which  it  is  said  he 


STRENGTH    IN'    OLD   AGE. 


13 


proved  by  lifting  a  barrel  of  cider  and  taking  a  drink 
from  the  bung-hole  ;  and,  more  marvellous  still,  that 
he  could  take  up  a  barrel  of  flour  under  each  one  of 
his  arms  and  carry  them  out  of  his  mill ! 

One  of  his  sisters,  Mrs.  AVliite,  known  in  the  fam- 
ily as  "Aunt  Katie,"  was  as  remarkable  as  were  the 
brothers,  for  her  size,  physical  strength,  and  wonder- 
ful industry.  In  her  old  age,  when  she  thought  her 
natural  force  was  much  abated,  she  was  known  to 
spin  upon  her  spinning-wheel  twenty-eight  "cuts"  of 
flax  a  day,  in  addition  to  milking  her  cows  !  Twelve 
cuts  a  day  was  the  usual  task  for  servants. 


FATHER   OF   STONEWALL  JACKSON. 
(From  a  painted  miuiature.) 


Y 


CHAPTER   II. 

THE   BOY  IS   FATHER   OF  THE   MAN." 


Thomas  Jonathan  Jackson,  the  subject  of  this  me- 
moir, was  born  in  the  town  of  Clarksburg,  Virginia, 
on  the  21st  of  January,  1824 ;  at  least,  that  was  the 
supposed  date  of  his  birth,  for  in  consequence  of  the 
early  breaking-up  of  his  father's  family  no  record  of 
the  event  was  ever  found,  and  he  did  not  remember 
dates  with  accuracy.  Clarksburg  is  now  in  the  State 
of  West  Virginia ;  but  as  he  did  not  live  to  see  the 
Old  Dominion  so  cruelly  sundered  in  twain,  he  died 
as  he  was  born,  a  A'irginian. 

He  was  only  in  his  third  year  when  his  father  died 
(of  whom  he  was  too  young  to  have  any  remem- 
brance), and  his  mother  was  left  a  widow  with  three 
helpless  children,  without  a  home  or  means  of  sup- 
port. But  her  own  and  her  husband's  relations  assist- 
ed her;  and  as  he  had  been  an  officer  in  the  order  of 
Freemasons  (who  had  presented  him  with  a  gold  medal 
in  token  of  their  respect),  they  now  gave  her  a  snudl 
house  of  only  one  room ;  and  in  this  huilible  abode, 
with  her  fatherless  children,  she  spent  the  greater  part 
of  the  few  years  of  her  widowhood.  Here  she  taught 
a  little  school,  and  also  added  to  her  support  by  sew- 
ing. The  weight  of  the  cares  and  struggles  must  have 
been  very  trying  to  her  delicate  frame ;  but  she  found 
relief  in  spending  a  good  deal  of  her  time  with  her 


BIRTHPLACE. 


15 


father  in  Wood  County ;  and  in  the  heat  of  summer 
she  went  to  a  place  called  "The  Ridge,"  where  her 
brother,  Minor  W.  Neale,  always  accompanied  and 
remained  with  her.  A  friend  wrote :  "  I  met  her  in 
the  summer  of  1827,  in  Wood  County.    She  was  look- 


BIK1HPL\C 
J  VC  KSON, 

WEST  VIRGINIA 


ing  as   cheerful  and  ani-      '-'''''?R&^ 
mated  as  usual,  her  easy,  '*'' '    '  ^> 

graceful  manners  and  pleasant  con- 
versation always  making  her  a  wel- 
come guest." 

In  the  year  1830  Mrs.  Jackson  was  man-ied  a  sec- 
ond time,  against  the  wishes  of  her  friends,  to  Captain 
Blake  B.  Woodson,  of  Cumberland  County,  a  lawyer 
of  good  education,  and  of  social,  popular  manners ;  but 
he  was  much  her  senior,  and  a  widower  without  fort- 
une.     The  relatives  of  her  first  husband  offered  to 


16  LIFE   OF  (JEXERAL   THOMAS   .1.  JACKSON. 

help  her  if  she  would  remain  a  widow,  while  wai'ning 
her  that  if  she  married  again  they  should  have  to  take 
her  children  from  her  to  support  them.  But  all  was 
of  no  avail,  and  the  result  was  wliat  they  had  pre- 
dicted. Though  Captain  Woodson  was  always  kind 
to  the  chilth'en,  his  slender  means  were  inadequate  to 
the  support  of  a  family,  and  necessity  soon  compelled 
the  poor  mother  to  give  up  her  two  boys  to  the  care 
of  their  father's  relations.  The  youngest  child,  Laura, 
she  kept  with  her,  and  after  the  marriage  Captain 
Woodson  removed  to  Fayette  County,  where  he  had 
received  the  appointment  of  clerk  of  the  county. 

So  Thomas,  at  the  age  of  six  years,  had  to  take 
leave  of  his  mother,  to  be  sent  to  the  house  of  his 
uncle.  It  was  a  heart-breaking  separation.  He  was 
at  this  time  a  rosy-cheeked,  blue-eyed  boy,  with  wav- 
ing brown  hair,  to  Avhom  she  clung  with  all  a  moth- 
er's devotion.  She  had  him  mounted  on  horseback, 
behind  one  of  his  father's  former  slaves,  good  "  Uncle 
Robinson."  of  whom  he  was  very  fond,  and  after  pro- 
viding him  with  every  comfort,  and  bidding  him  good- 
by,  her  yearning  heart  called  him  back  once  more, 
and,  clasping  him  to  her  bosom,  she  gave  vent  to  her 
feelings  in  a  flood  of  tears.  That  parting  he  never 
forgot ;  nor  could  he  speak  of  it  in  after-years  but 
with  the  utmost  tenderness.  Warren  had  been  sent 
some  time  before  to  thefhome  of  his  aunt,  Mrs.  Isaac 
Brake,  who  wished  to  relieve  the  mother  of  his  sup- 
port, and  she  had  consented  on  account  of  the  greater 
temptations  to  the  boy  in  town.  Tlieir  mother  lived 
only  a  little  over  a  year  after  lier  second  marriage, 
her  delicate  health  completely  giving  way  after  the 
birth  of  a  son,  who  was  named  Wirt.    As  she  lingered 


HIS   MOTHER'S   GRAVE.  17 

sevej-al  weeks,  she  sent  for  her  two  fatherless  boj^s,  to 
receive  her  farewell  and  blessing ;  and  her  })rayei's, 
counsels,  and  triumphant  death  made  an  indelible  im- 
pression upon  the  mind  of  Thomas,  who  was  then 
seven  years  of  age.  In  a  letter  announcing  her  death, 
Captain  Woodson  says :  "  No  Christian  on  earth,  no 
matter  what  evidence  he  might  have  had  of  a  ha])py 
hereafter,  could  have  died  w4th  more  fortitude.  Per- 
fectly in  her  senses,  calm  and  deliberate,  she  met  her 
fate  without  a  murmur  or  a  struggle.  Death  for  her 
had  no  sting ;  the  grave  could  claim  no  victory.  I 
have  known  few  women  of  equal,  none  of  superior, 
merit."  Her  remains  were  buried  near  the  famous 
"  Hawk's  Nest ""  of  New  River,  which  her  son  visited 
in  after-years,  to  find  her  grave  and  erect  a  mon- 
ument over  it ;  but  nearly  all  who  had  known  her 
during  her  brief  residence  there  had  passed  away, 
and  no  one  could  be  found  who  could  point  out  the 
spot  with  certainty.  After  his  return  to  his  home 
in  Lexington,  he  wrote  to  his  aunt,  Mrs.  Neale,  at 
Parkersburg : 

"  Sept.  4th,  1855. 

"  Though  I  have  reached  home,  yet  the  pleasures 
enjoyed  under  your  hospitable  roof,  and  in  your  fam- 
ily circle,  have  not  been  dissipated.  .  .  I  stopped  to 
see  the  Hawk's  Nest,  and  the  gentleman  with  whom  I 
put  up  was  at  my  mother's  burial,  and  accompanied 
me  to  the  cemetery  for  the  purpose  of  pointing  out 
her  grave  to  me ;  but  I  am  not  certain  that  he  found 
it.  There  Avas  no  stone  to  mark  the  spot.  Another 
gentleman,  who  had  the  kindness  to  go  with  us,  stated 
that  a  wooden  head  or  foot  board  with  her  name  on 
2 


18       LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSOX. 

it  had  been  put  up,  but  it  \ms  no  longer  there.  A 
depression  in  the  earth  only  marked  her  resting-place. 
When  standing  by  her  grave,  I  experienced  feelings 
to  which  I  was  until  then  a  stranger.  I  was  seeking 
the  spot  partly  for  the  purpose  of  erecting  something 
to  her  precious  memory.  On  Saturday  last  I  lost  my 
porte-monnaie,  and  in  it  was  the  date  of  my  mothers 
birth.     Please  give  me  the  date  in  your  next  letter." 

It  was  left  to  the  generous  impulse  of  a  Confederate 
soldier  to  do,  after  General  Jackson's  death,  what  he 
was  so  anxious  to  do  himself,  in  preserving  his  mother's 
grave  from  oblivion.    One  who  visited  the  spot  writes  : 

"•  On  the  top  of  a  beautiful  wooded  hill,  near  the 
mining  village  of  Anstead,  Fayette  County,  West  Vir- 
ginia, is  an  old  graveyard,  still  used  as  a  burying- 
place  by  the  dwellers  in  this  mountain  region.  It  is 
greatly  neglected,  and  many  graves  are  scarcely  to  be 
found,  though  a  few  are  protected  by  little  pens  of 
fence-rails.  The  location  is  so  beautiful,  and  the  view 
it  commands  so  extensive  and  exquisite,  that  it  is 
worthy  of  being  well  cared  for.  Among  those  who 
lie  buried  hero  is  the  mother  of  that  noble  Christian 
soldier,  General  Stonewall  Jackson.  This  grave,  or 
spot — for  the  grave  is.scarcely  to  be  recognized — has 
been  kindly  cared  for 'by  Mr.  Stevens  M.  Taylor,  for- 
merly of  Albemarle  County.  But  no  stone  was  erected 
until  a  gentleman  of  Staunton,  Captain  Thomas  D. 
Ransom,  one  of  his  old  soldiers,  seeing  the  neglected 
condition  of  the  grave,  had  pi-epared  a  simple  but 
suitable  monunu'nt — a  tall  .slab  of  marl)le  with  an 
inscription,  giving  the  dates  of  her  birlii  and  tleatli, 


SEPARATED   FROM    I5R0THER  AND   SISTER.  19 

and  adding  that  it  is  'a  tribute   to  the   mother  of 
Stonewall  Jackson,  bv  one  of  his  old  brig'ade.' " 

Such  a  mother  could  not  but  leave  a  deep  impres- 
sion upon  the  heart  of  such  a  son.  To  the  latest  hour 
of  his  life  he  cherished  her  memory.  Ilis  recollections 
of  her  were  of  tiie  sweetest  and  tenderest  character. 
To  his  childhood's  fancy  she  was  the  embodiment  of 
beauty,  grace,  and  loveliness  ;  and  when,  a  few  months 
before  his  death,  while  he  was  in  the  midst  of  the 
army,  a  little  daughter  was  born  to  him,  he  wrote  that 
he  wished  her  to  be  called  "  Julia,"  saying,  "  My  moth- 
er was  mindful  of  me  when  I  was  a  helpless,  father- 
less child,  and  I  wish  to  commemorate  her  now." 

After  the  death  of  their  mother,  the  children  were 
sent  back  to  their  Jackson  relatives — Warren  return- 
ing to  Mrs.  Brake,  and  Thomas  and  Laura  finding  a 
home  for  a  time  with  their  aunt,  Mrs.  White,  and  later 
with  their  step-grandmother  Jackson,  who  was  always 
kind  to  them.  Laura,  who  is  still  living,  does  not  re- 
member that  Thomas  ever  lived  with  either  of  their 
unclesin-law  Brake,  and  says  that  it  was  tlieir  broth- 
er Warren,  and  not  Thomas,  who  ran  away  Avhen  a 
little  boy  from  his  "  uncle  Brake,  because  they  couldn't 
agree  " — a  statement  wliich  accords  with  the  charac- 
ter of  the  boy.  Thomas  and  Laura  lived  with  their 
step-grandmother  until  her  death ;  and  after  the  mar- 
riage of  her  two  daughters,  which  left  no  ladies  in  the 
household,  Laura  was  sent  to  find  a  home  among  her 
Neale  relatives,  and  lived  with  them  until  she  Avas 
married  to  Mr.  Jonathan  Arnold,  of  Beverly,  West 
Virginia.  Her  two  sons,  Thomas  Jackson  and  Stark 
W.  Arnold,  were  the  only  nephews  of  General  Jackson. 


20       LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSOX. 

The  grandniother  lived  at  the  old  Jackson  home- 
stead, in  Lewis  County,  and  at  her  death  her  son 
Cummins  became  the  head  of  the  house ;  and  being  a 
large-hearted,  generous  man,  he  not  only  kept  Thom- 
as with  him  to  rear  and  educate,  but  he  also  gave  War- 
ren a  home  after  he  ran  away  from  his  uncle  Brake. 
The  story  runs  that  this  boy,  Warren,  when  only  nine 
or  ten  years  old,  left  the  house  of  Mr.  Brake,  who  had 
offended  him  by  sternness,  and  walked  four  or  five 
miles  into  the  town  of  Clarksburg  to  the  house  of 
Judge  Jackson,  his  father's  cousin,  and  asked  Mrs. 
Jackson  to  give  him  his  dinner.  While  eating  at  the 
table  he  very  quietly  said :  "  Uncle  Brake  and  I  don't 
agree ;  I  have  quit  him,  and  shall  not  go  back  any 
more."  Mrs.  Jackson  was  surprised  and,  disapprov- 
ing of  such  independence  in  so  young  a  lad,  tried  to 
persuade  him  to  return,  but  his  unvarying  answer  was : 
"  No,  he  and  I  don't  agree ;  I  have  quit  him,  and  shall 
not  go  back  any  more."  He  then  went  to  the  house 
of  another  cousin,  asked  if  he  could  spend  the  night, 
and  told  her  the  same  story.  The  next  day  he  walked 
eighteen  miles  all  alone,  to  the  home  of  his  uncle  Cum- 
mins, who  received  him  with  great  kindness,  and  the 
two  orphan  boys  were  very  happy  at  being  together 
under  the  same  roof.  Here  the  three  children  went 
to  school,  when  there ywere  any  schools  in  the  neigh- 
borhood, and  Thomas  and  Laura  spent  much  time 
in  play,  he  always  having  a  care  over  his  little  sister. 
He  was  a  cheerful  boy,  and,  his  sister  says,  sang  a  great 
deal ;  but  in  after-years  he  did  not  show  any  musical 
talent,  though  very  fond  of  hearing  music. 

The  boyhood  of  Jackson  showed  that,  truly, 

"Tlie  child  is  fullier  of  tlic  man," 


JUIOTIIER  AND   SISTER   T0(;ETI1ER.  21 

for  it  was  marked  by  the  same  energy,  determination, 
and  perseverani^hat  were  to  distinguish  him  in  his 
future  career,  ^o  matter  what  he  undertook,  whether 
of  work  or  play,  he  "  never  gave  up."  At  school,  one 
day,  during  recess,  he  became  absorbed  in  making  a 
cornstalk  fiddle,  and  when  the  bell  rang  for  resuming 
study  he  worked  away  as  if  he  did  not  hear  it,  totally 
oblivious  of  his  duty  to  return  to  his  lessons.  Laura  was 
sent  to  call  him,  but  his  reply  was, ''  Wait  till  I  finish 
this  fiddle !"  and  not  until  the  teacher  Avent  out  and 
compelled  obedience  did  he  relinquish  his  task.i^^ 

The  children  wandered  all  over  the  farm,  and  en- 
gaged in  many  youthful  enterprises,  one  of  which  was 
the  making  of  maple  sugar.  The  trees  stood  on  the 
other  side  of  a  creek  which  had  no  bridge  over  it,  but, 
nothing  daunted,  our  young  hero  went  to  work  and 
framed  a  little  raft,  upon  which  he  and  Laura  would 
cross  daily,  and  busy  themselves  in  drawing  the  sap 
and  boiling  down  the  sugar.  In  after -years,  when 
he  became  the  leader  of  armies,  he  often  had  occa- 
sion to  build  bridges  across  streams  for  his  troops,  in 
which  he  showed  the  same  indomitable  perseverance 
in  overcoming  obstacles  that  he  had  shown  when  a 

Laura  followed  him  everywhere,  even  in  his  rabbit 
hunts,  in  which  he  was  quite  an  expert.  After  run- 
ning a  rabbit  into  a  hollow  log,  he  would  place  Laura 
at  one  end  and  himself  at  the  other,  and  in  this  way 
they  often  caught  the  Httle  creatures  with  their  hands. 
He  busied  himself  in  making  rabbit-snares,  bird-traps, 
and  in  other  rustic  diversions.  In  his  childhood  he 
was  extravagantly  fond  of  the  violin,  and  after  com- 
ing into  possession  of  one  of  his  own  he  made  faithful 


22  LIFE    OK    (iEXERAL   THOMAS   J.  JACKSON. 

efforts  to  learn  to  ])lciy  upon  it,  but,  not  being  endowed 
with  tlie  gift  of  music,  this  was  one  of  tbe  few  things 
he  attempted  in  which  he  did  not  succeed.  "When  a 
bo}',  he  did  learn  a  few  songs,  among  them  a  military 
one,  called  "-  Napoleon's  Retreat." 

This  united,  happy  life  of  the  little  brother  and  sis- 
ter did  not  continue  more  than  a  year  or  two,  when 
they  were  separated,  never  to  have  the  same  home 
again.  But  he  cherished  a  warm  attachment  for  her, 
and  kept  up  the  most  affectionate  relations  with  her 
as  long  as  he  lived.  With  money  he  saved  from  his 
pa}^  at  West  Point  he  bought  her  a  silk  dress  as  a  pres- 
ent upon  his  return  home  during  his  first  vacation. 

Cummins  Jackson  was  a  bachelor  of  middle  age, 
and  being  a  man  of  independent  fortune  and  a  kind 
heart,  he  was  disposed  to  do  all  in  his  power  for  War- 
ren and  Thomas.  The  latter,  it  is  said,  was  his  favor 
ite,  and  he  could  not  have  been  treated  with  more  kind- 
ness if  he  had  been  his  own  son.  He  gave  the  lads 
all  the  advantages  of  education  his  county  affoi-ded, 
though  these  were  not  great  in  that  new  and  unim- 
proved region.  It  was  the  custom  to  have  schools  for 
only  about  tliree  months  during  the  Avinter  season,  so 
the  boys  were  engaged  during  the  remainder  of  the 
year  in  assisting  their  uncle  in  the  operations  of  the 
farm  and  mills. 

At  school  Thomas  was  studious  and  persevering, 
showing  a  great  desire  to  make  the  best  of  his  advan- 
tages ;  but  Warren  was  the  reverse,  and  as  he  grew 
up  his  strong  will,  which  had  never  been  controlled, 
and  his  independent  and  restless  spirit  impelled  him 
to  launch  out  for  himself  and  seek  his  own  fortune. 
His  uncle  thought  it  best  not  to  thwart  him  in  this, 


IN    SEARCH    (IF    ADVENTLKK.  23 

and  so  the  boy  left  this  kind  uncle  and  good  home 
when  he  was  about  fourteen  years  of  age.  But  the 
saddest  part  of  this  exodus  was,  that  he  persuaded  his 
youjig  brother,  of  only  twelve,  to  accompany  him. 
Tlionuis  was  very  reluctant  to  go,  for  he  loved  his  un- 
cle, and  was  happy  in  his  free  and  bountiful  home ; 
l)ut  his  affection  for  AV^arren,  and  pei'ha{)s  the  lattor's 
authoi'ity  over  him  as  an  elder  brother,  were  too  great 
to  be  resisted.  They  went  first  to  the  home  of  their 
uncle  Alfred  Neale,  who  lived  on  James  Island,  in  the 
Ohio,  and  were  most  kindly  received  by  him  and  his 
good  wife ;  but  as  this  uncle  prescribed  for  them  the 
same  excellent  discipline  as  their  uncle  Cummins — 
that  they  should  work  on  the  farm  and  go  to  school — 
AVarren  again  rebelled,  and  spread  his  unfledged  w4ngs 
for  a  flight  farther  down  the  Ohio,  taking  Thomas 
with  him. 

Several  months  passed,  and  their  friends  heard  noth- 
ing of  the  young  wanderers;  but  in  the  autumn  they 
came  back,  like  repentant  prodigals,  glad  enough  to 
return  to  kindred  and  friends,  but  in  such  a  sad  plight 
that  it  was  touching  to  see  them.  Their  clothes  were 
worn  and  soiled  from  travel,  and  their  faces  bore  the 
marks  of  sickness  and  suffering.  Their  story  was  that, 
after  floating  down  the  Ohio,  and  earning  their  living 
as  best  they  could,  they  landed  on  a  small  island  in 
the  Mississippi,  near  the  southwestern  corner  of  Ken- 
tucky. Here  they  spent  the  summer  alone,  and  sup- 
ported themselves  by  cutting  wood  for  the  passing 
steamboats. 

Their  lodging-place  was  a  miserable  cabin,  and  the 
island  being  exceedingly  malarious,  they  contracted 
chills  and  fever,  which  made  such  ravages  upon  their 


24      LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

tender  frames  that  the}"  could  stand  it  no  longer;  so 
by  the  kindness  of  a  captain,  who  gave  them  passage 
on  his  boat,  they  were  enabled  to  reach  home  —  no 
doubt  wiser,  if  2iot  better,  for  their  escapade. 

Thomas  determined  at  once  to  return  to  his  uncle 
Cummins,  where  the  comforts  of  home  and  the  fine  air 
of  his  native  climate  soon  restored  him  to  his  wonted 
health  and  strength,  and  here  he  remained  until  he  re- 
ceived an  appointment  as  a  cadet  at  West  Point. 

But  Warren  Avas  too  proud  or  ashamed  to  seek 
again  the  shelter  of  a  roof  which  he  had  so  rashly 
left,  so  he  went  to  the  house  of  his  aunt,  Mrs.  Isaac 
Brake,  which  had  been  his  home  after  his  separation 
from  his  mother,  where  he  received  the  kindest  treat- 
ment ;  but  he  never  recovered  from  the  effects  of  the 
exposure  and  hardships  encountered  during  that  disas- 
trous trip,  and  after  lingering  a  few  years  he  died  of 
consumption  at  the  age  of  nineteen.  Before  his  death 
he  sent  for  Thomas  and  Laura  to  come  and  see  him 
once  more,  and,  mounted  on  horseback,  they  rode 
across  the  country  to  pay  this  last  visit  to  their  dying 
brother.  They  found  that  this  long  illness,  with  the 
influence  of  his  sainted  mother,  had  changed  the  un- 
governed  boy  to  such  gentleness  and  submission  that 
he  no  longer  wished  to  live,  but  was  able  to  depart  in 
perfect  peace. 

After  the  wholesome  experience  of  his  adventurous 
trip  down  the  Ohio,  and  the  i-ecovery  of  his  health, 
Thomas  showed  a  greater  desire  than  ever  for  self- 
improvement,  and  he  became  a  vahuible  assistant  to 
his  uncle  in  the  management  of  his  farm  and  mills. 
Classical  academies  had  not  then  been  introduced  into 
that  part  of  the  country,  but  there  were  good  English 


UVERSEER   OF  WORKMEN    ON   THE   EARM.  25 

schools  ;  and  he  was  a  dihgent,  plodding  scholar,  hav- 
ing a  strong  mind,  tliough  it  was  slow  in  development. 
In  arithmetic  he  was  quick,  and  found  no  difficulty  in 
excelling  his  classmates ;  but  in  his  other  studies  he 
had  to  work  hard,  jet  he  always  "  stuck  to  it  "  with  a 
tenacity  that  w^ould  not  "  let  go."  He  never  left  a 
lesson  unmastered,  and  if  he  had  not  been  able  to 
finish  a  task  with  his  class,  he  would,  when  his  time 
came  to  recite,  acknowledge  frankly  that  he  knew 
nothing  of  that  lesson,  not  having  yet  perfected  the 
previous  one.  In  this  way  he  sometimes  fell  behind 
his  class  ;  but  as  he  had  a  retentive  memory,  the  knowl- 
edge that  he  gained  with  so  much  labor  was  indelibly 
impressed  upon  his  mind. 

His  temper  as  a  boy  was  cheerful  and  generous,  and 
his  truthfulness  was  proverbial.  There  w^as  an  in- 
stinctive courtesy  in  his  conduct;  his  sense  of  justice 
was  very  strong,  and  as  long  as  he  met  with  fair  treat- 
ment from  his  associates,  he  was  gentle  and  peace- 
able; but  he  was  quick  to  resent  an.  insult,  and  in 
a  boyish  combat  would  never  yield  to  defeat.  He 
was  a  ringleader  in  boyish  sports,  an  exjjert  in 
climbing  and  jumping ;  and  whenever  he  was  captain 
in  any  game  his  side  was  pretty  sure  to  come  off 
victorious. 

In  the  management  of  his  'uncle's  farm  and  mills, 
Thomas  early  learned  to  put  his  young  shoulders  to 
the  wheel,  and  he  soon  proved  so  capable  that  he  was 
intrusted  with  the  duties  of  overseer  of  the  laborers  in 
getting  the  largest  trees  out  of  the  forest,  and  convey- 
ing them  to  the  mill  to  be  sawed  into  lumber,  in  all 
W'hich  he  showed  great  intelligence  as  well  as  endur- 
ance and  efflciencv. 


26       LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

This  free  and  active  life  was  well  adapted  to  both 
his  physical  and  moral  development,  and  as  his  uncle 
treated  him  as  a  companion,  trusting  and  relying  upon 
him,  he  grew  very  manly  and  independent  for  a  youth 
in  his  teens.  His  bachelor  uncles,  it  appears,  were 
fond  of  sport,  of  fox  iiunts  and  horse  racing.  His 
uncle  kept  a  number  of  blooded  horses,  and  had  a  four- 
mile  race-track  on  his  farm,  and  "  Thomas,"  as  he 
always  called  him,  was  his  trainer,  and  so  well  taught 
was  he  to  ride  that  he  was  never  tiirown.  Naturally 
he  came  to  share  in  the  pleasures  of  the  chase,  and  to 
ride  his  uncle's  racers  as  soon  as  he  was  old  enough. 
With  his  determination  to  succeed  in  everything  he 
undertook,  he  did  not  fail  in  this  accomplishment,  for 
his  neighbors  said, ''  If  a  horse  had  any  winning  quali- 
ties whatever  in  him,  Tom  Jackson  never  failed  to 
bring  them  out  on  the  turf!"  But  though  he  won 
races  for  his  uncle,  and  won  a  good  deal  of  money,  he 
never  had  the  least  propensity  to  the  vices  that  belong 
to  sporting  characters. 

When  riding  home  late  one  night,  he  was  startled 
at  beholding  a  tall  white  spectre  flitting  across  the  road. 
The  horse  became  frightened  and  plunged  backward ; 
and  Thomas  confessed  that  at  first  he,  too,  was  some- 
what dismayed  at  such  a  ghostly  a))parition,  but,  deter- 
mining to  conquer  all  fear,  he  put  whip  and  spurs  to 
his  horse  and  forced  liini  to  gallop  past  the  object  of 
terror,  which  he  soon  discovci-ed,  from  the  shouts  of 
laughter  from  the  roadside,  was  one  of  his  uncles,  who 
had  tried  to  play  a  joke  u])on  him  by  wra])])ing  him- 
self in  a  sheet  and  taking  his  stand  at  the  foot  of  a 
hill  he  was  to  pass. 

This  free  life  he  could  enjoy  without  being  at  all 


WILL,  COURAGE,  AND  TENACITY.  27 

spoiled  bv  it ;  and  though  he  spoke  of  himself  as  hav- 
ing been  -a  wild  boy,"  he  was  always  noted  for  his 
uprightness,  honesty,  industry,  and  ti-ut  li.  I  n  his  after- 
years  he  was  not  disposed  to  talk  niuch  of  his  child- 
hood and  youth,  for  the  reason  that  it  was  the  saddest 
period  of  his  life.  He  had  been  very  early  left  an  or- 
phan. Losing  first  his  father  and  then  his  mother,  he 
had  no  home  life,  but  grew  up  among  remoter  kin- 
dred. All  this  made  the  memory  so  sad  that  he  sel- 
dom referred  to  it. 

One  who  knew  him  at  this  time  says:  "He  was  a 
youth  of  exemplary  habits,  of  indomitable  will  and 
undoubted  courage.     He  possessed  in  an  eminent  de- 
gree a  talent  for  mathematics,  and  was  unwillino-,  while 
at  school,  to  acknowledge  his  incapacity— 'give  him 
time  '—to  solve  any  proposition.      He  was  not  what 
is  nowadays  termed  brilliant,  but  he  was  one  of  those 
untiring,  matter-of-fact  persons  who  would  never  o-ive 
up  when  he  engaged  in  an  undertaking  until  he  ac- 
complished his  object.     He  learned  slowly,  but  when 
he  got  learning  into  his  head,  he  never  forgot  it.     He 
was  not  quick  to  decide,  except  when   excited,  and 
then  when  he  made  up  his  mind  to  do  a  thing,  he  did 
it  on  short  notice  and  in  quick  time.     Thus,  while  on 
his  way  to  school,  an  overgrown  rustic  behaved  rudely 
to  one  of  the  school-girls.     Jackson  was  fired  at  his 
cowardly  conduct,  and  told  him  he  must  apologize  at 
once,  or  he  would  '  thrash  him.'     The  big  fellow,  sup- 
posing that   he  was  an  overmatch  for  him,  refused, 
whereupon  Jackson  pitched  into  him,  and  gave  him  a 
severe  pounding." 

This  manly  and  independent  spirit  impelled  him  at 
an  early  age  to  seek  a  support  for  himself,  and  his 


28      LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

friends  procured  for  him  the  position  of  constable  of 
Lewis  County.  He  was  but  eighteen  years  old,  and  it 
was  contrary  to  law  that  a  minor  should  hold  this 
office,  but  the  influence  and  guarantee  of  his  uncle, 
with  his  own  good  character,  overcame  this  objection. 
At  this  time  his  health  was  somewhat  impaired,  and 
it  was  hoped  that  the  out-door  life  and  horseback  ex- 
ercise would  invigoi'ate  him.  The  duties  of  the  office 
required  both  courage  and  determination,  qualities 
that  he  soon  showed  that  he  possessed.  Promjit  in 
meeting  his  own  engagements,  he  enforced  the  same 
upon  others.  Collecting  debts  is  always  a  thankless 
task,  but  it  had  to  be  done ;  and  Jackson  did  it  kindly, 
but  firmly.  In  one  case  a  man  had  made  repeated 
promises  to  pay,  but  would  never  keep  an  appoint- 
ment for  the  purpose.  After  exacting  one  more 
promise  that  he  would  pay,  vnthout  fail,  upon  a  cer- 
tain day,  the  young  constable  pledged  himself  to  the 
creditor  that  on  that  day  he  should  have  his  money. 
The  day  came,  and  the  constable  and  creditor  were  on 
hand,  but  the  debtor  was  again  missing,  and  was  not 
seen  in  the  village  all  day.  The  3'^oung  deputy,  how- 
ever, had  given  his  word,  and  kept  it  by  paying  the 
money  out  of  his  own  pocket.  The  next  morning  the 
delinquent  appeared  upon  the  scene,  riding  a  fine 
horse,  but  as  the  custom  of  the  country  did  not  per- 
mit a  man's  horse  to  be  taken  from  him  while  he  was 
on  his  back,  the  young  officer  waited  until  he  saw  the 
man  dismount,  and  then  reproaching  liini  for  his 
Ijreach  of  faith,  he  seized  the  horse.  The  man  re- 
sisted, and  a  furious  struggle  followed,  during  which 
he  succeeded  in  remounting.  This  at  first  discon- 
certed   Jackson,  but,   not    to    be    outwitted   by  this 


DEATH  OF  UNCLE  CUMMINS.  29 

manoeuvre,  be  held  on  to  the  bridle,  and  seein;[^  near 
bv  a  stable  door  standing  open,  he  led  the  horse  up 
to  it,  and  quietly  told  the  man  he  must  "get  off  or 
be  knocked  offV'  the  door  being  too  low  for  him  to 
go  througli  on  horseback.  Thus  the  fugitive  was  fairly 
caught,  and  after  resisting  and  begging,  he  finally 
shpped  off  and  left  the  horse  in  the  possession  of  the 
young  representative  of  the  law. 

But  this  business  was  distasteful  to  Jackson,  and 
he  gladly  resigned  it  on  receiving  an  appointment  to 
the  Military  Academy  at  West  Point. 

Before  closing  this  chapter,  it  may  bo  of  interest, 
although  it  will  be  anticipating  a  few  years,  to  know 
the  end  of  the  good  Uncle  Cummins,  who  was  a 
second  father  to  Thomas  in  his  boyhood.  After 
the  close  of  the  Mexican  war  and  the  annexation  of 
California,  the  discovery  of  gold  created  great  excite- 
ment throughout  the  country,  and  caused  a  tide  of 
emigration  to  the  Far  West.  Catching  the  popular 
enthusiasm,  and  inflamed,  perhaps,  with  a  spirit  of 
adventure,  this  uncle,  though  in  his  fiftieth  year, 
left  his  A'irginia  home  and  travelled  by  wagon-train 
across  the  plains,  but  lived  only  a  few  months  after 
reaching  the  Pacific  coast.  His  nephew,  Thomas, 
inherited  a  few  hundred  dollars  from  his  estate,  which 
he  gave  to  his  aunt,  Mrs.  White,  who  was  then  in 
straitened  circumstances,  in  gratitude  for  having  given 
him  a  home  when  he  was  first  separated  from  his 
motlier. 


CHAPTER   III. 

FOUR  YEARS   AT    WEST   POINT— 1842-1846. 

While  the  young  Virginian  was  riding  over  the 
hills  of  his  native  county,  enforcing  the  law,  he  was 
dreaming  of  other  things.  A  desire  for  knowl- 
edge had  been  the  passion  of  his  youth.  With  the 
pride  of  descent  from  a  family  that  had  stood  high  in 
the  country  round,  he  felt  deeph''  the  disadvantages 
which  his  early  orphanage  and  poverty  had  entailed 
upon  him,  and  was  ambitious  to  make  a  position  for 
himself,  and  keep  up  the  prestige  of  his  name.  He 
had  determined  to  earn  the  means  to  procure  a  liberal 
education,  when  the  opportunity  came  in  a  wa}^  he 
had  not  anticipated.  A  young  man  from  the  Con- 
gressional district  in  which  he  lived  had  received 
an  appointment  to  the  Military  Academy  at  West 
Point,  but  after  entering  had  found  that  the  disci- 
pline and  the  hard  study  were  too  severe  to  suit  his 
self-indulorent  tastes,  and  resigned  in  diso^ust  and  re- 
turned  home.  Of  course,  this  was  the  talk  of  the 
neighborhood  ;  and  one  day  that  Uncle  Cummins  was 
having  his  horse  shod,  the  blacksmith  looked  up  and 
said  :  "  Now  here  is  a  good  chance  for  Tom  Jackson, 
as  he  is  so  anxious  to  get  an  education."  His  uncle 
caught  at  the  suggestion,  and  going  home  told  his 
nephew  of  the  opportunity  to  get  a  cadetship  at  AVest 
Point,  which  lired  his  heart  with  such  eager  hope  that 


AProlNTEI)   TO    WEST   TUINT.  31 

he  began  at  once  his  efforts  to  secure  the  vacant  posi- 
tion. He  luul  nuin}^  friends  who  had  observed  his  manly 
spirit,  and  were  ready  to  help  him ;  and  all  joined  in  a 
letter  to  the  Hon.  Samuel  Hays,  member  of  Congress 
from  the  district,  asking  him  to  use  his  influence  to  have 
him  appointed.    Of  a  prominent  lawyer  connected  with 
his  own  family,  the  young  applicant  felt  at  liberty  to 
request  a  more  confldential  testimonial,  but  he  was 
asked  "  if  he  did  not  fear  that  his  education  was  not 
sufficient  to  enable  him  to  enter  and  sustain  himself  at  * 
AYest  Point."     For  a  moment  his  countenance  fell,  but, 
looking  up,  he  replied  :  "  I  know  that  I  shall  have  the 
application  necessary  to  succeed ;  I  hope  that  I  have 
the  capacity ;  at  least,  I  am  determined  to  try,  and  I 
want  you  to  help  me."     This  friend  did  help  him,  and 
wrote  a  letter  of  hearty  commendation,  in  which  he 
dwelt  especially  upon  his  courage  and  resolution.     As 
soon  as  the  letters  were  despatched  to  Washington,  he 
beo-an  to  review  his  studies,  in  which  he  was  assisted 
bv  a  lawyer  in  Weston,  who  made  it  a  labor  of  love. 
Ill  due  time  the  answer  came  from  Mr.  Hays,  promis- 
ing to  do  all  in  his  power  to  secure  the  appointment, 
and  Jackson  resolved  at  once  to  go  to  Washington,  to 
be  ready  to  proceed   to  West  Point  without  a  mo- 
ment's delay.     So  eager  was  he  to  start  that  he  did 
not  wait  for  any  preparations,  but,  packing  his  plain 
wardrobe  into  a  pair  of  saddle-bags,  he  mounted  a 
horse  near  sundown,  and,  accompanied  by  a  servant 
who  Avas  to   bring   the   horse   home,   hurried   off  to 
Clarksburg  to  catch  the  stage-coach.    Upon  his  arrival 
he   found   that   the   coach   had   already  passed,  but, 
nothing  daunted,  he  galloped  on  and  overtook  it  at 
the  next  stopping-place,  and  continued  his  journey. 


32  LII'K    OF   GENERAL   THOMAS   J.  JACKSON. 

Arrived  at  "Waslnngton,  be  went  straight  to  Mr. 
Hays,  who  showed  his  interest  and  kindness  b;/  taking 
him  immediately  to  the  Secretary  of  War;  and  in  ])re- 
senting  him,  exphiined  the  disadvantages  of  his  educa- 
tion, but  begged  for  him  favor  on  account  of  his  manly 
determination.  The  Secretary  plied  him  with  ques- 
tions, and  an  eye-witness  describes  the  parley  between 
tiiem  as  bein<>-  '' o-roif  and  heroic,  but,  with  the  orit  of 
Old  Hickory,  this  young  Jackson  was  neither  to  be 
bluffed  nor  driven  from  his  purpose,''  and  so  much 
pleased  was  the  Secretary  with  his  manliness  and 
resolution  that  he  gave  him  the  apppointment  and 
said  to  him :  "  Sir,  you  have  a  good  name.  Go  to 
West  Point,  and  the  first  man  who  insults  3'ou  knock 
him  down,  and  have  it  charged  to  my  account  I" 

Mr.  Hays  kindly  invited  him  to  spend  a  few  days 
with  him  in  Washington  to  see  the  city,  but  with  the 
one  all-absorbing  thought  now  in  his  mind  of  that 
long-desired  education  coming  within  his  grasp,  he  de- 
clined, saying  that  one  view  from  the  top  of  the  Capi- 
tol would  be  all  that  he  could  treat  himself  to  at  that 
time.  Accordingly  he  ascended  the  dome,  and  took  a 
view  of  the  magnificent  panorama  before  him,  and 
then  immediately  proceeded  on  his  journey. 

Mr.  Hays  gave  him  a  letter  of  introduction  to  the 
faculty,  bearing  testimony  to  his  excellent  character 
and  courageous  spirit,  and  asking  that  due  allowance 
be  made  for  his  limited  education ;  and  his  letter  liad 
such  weight  that  the  authorities  were  very  lenient  in 
their  examination,  and  he  was  admitted.  Here  then, 
in  June,  1842,  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  we  find  him 
where  he  had  so  longed  to  be,  a  cadet  in  the  Military 
Academy  at  West  Point.     His  fi-iends  had  done  for 


I'ont    VHARS   AS   A    CADKT.  33 

liiiu  all  they  could ;  heiicel'ortii  his  career  was  to  de- 
pend upon  himself. 

AVhen  he  entered  upon  his  studies,  he  was  made  at 
once  to  feel  his  deficiency  in  preparation.  An  old 
friend  and  fellow-classmate  says :  ''  He  had  a  rough 
time  ill  the  Academy  at  lii-st,  for  liis  want  of  previous 
training  placed  him  at  a  great  disadvantage,  and  it 
was  all  lie  could  do  to  pass  his  fii'st  examination.  We 
were  studying  algebra,  and  maybe  analytical  geome- 
try, that  ^vinter,  and  .Tackson  was  very  low  in  his  class 
standing.  All  lights  were  put  out  at  '  taps,'  and  just 
before  the  signal  he  would  pile  up  his  grate  with  an- 
thracite coal,  and,  lying  prone  before  it  on  the  floor, 
would  work  away  at  his  lessons  by  the  glare  of  the 
fire,  which  scorched  his  very  brain,  till  a  late  hour  of 
the  night.  This  evident  determination  to  succeed  not 
only  aided  his  own  efforts  directly,  but  impressed  his 
instructors  in  his  favor,  and  he  rose  steadily  year  by 
year,  till  we  used  to  say :  '  If  we  had  to  stay  here 
another  year,  "old  Jack''  would  be  at  the  head  of 
the  class.'  ...  I  believe  he  went  through  the  very 
trying  ordeal  of  the  four  years  at  West  Point  without 
ever  having  a  hard  word  or  a  bad  feeling  from  cadet 
or  professor;  and  while  there  were  many  Avho  seemed 
to  surpass  him  in  the  graces  of  intellect,  in  geniality, 
and  in  good-fellowship,  there  was  no  one  of  our  class 
who  more  absolutely  possessed  the  respect  and  confi- 
dence of  all." 

He  himself  said  that  he  "  studied  venj  hard  for  what 
he  got  at  AVest  Point/"  and  after  entering  and  seeing 
the  amount  of  study  he  had  to  do,  and  the  large  num- 
ber of  cadets  who  failed  annually,  he  fully  expected 
to  be  dismissed  at  the  close  of  his  first  year,  and  in 
3 


34  I'ltK   UF   GENERAL    THOMAS   J.  JACKSON. 

anticipation  he  endured  all  the  mortification  of  going 
home  and  being  laughed  at ;  and  he  even  ])repared 
what  he  would  say  to  his  young  friends,  intending  to 
tell  them,  ''  If  they  had  been  there,  and  found  it  as 
hard  as  he  did,  they  would  have  failed  too."  lie  was 
always  amusetl  when  speaking  of  this  period  of  his 
life,  and  of  the  importance  he  then  attached  to  the 
opinions  of  his  young  friends  and  companions.  But 
to  his  surprise  he  passed  his  first  year,  and  from  that 
time  he  made  steady  progress  until  at  the  end  of  four 
years  he  graduated,  seventeenth  in  a  large  arid  distin- 
guished class  of  over  seventy.  Among  his  classmates 
were  Generals  McClellan,  Foster,  Reno,  Stoneraan, 
Couch,  and  Gibbon,  of  the  Federal  army  ;  and  Generals 
A.  P.  Hill,  Pickett,  Maury,  D.  R.  Jones,  W.  D.  Smith, 
and  Wilcox,  of  the  Confederate  army. 

When  he  went  to  West  Point  he  was  fresh  and 
ruddy  in  complexion,  but  had  not  yet  attained  his  full 
height,  and  is  described  as  being  a  slender  lad,  who 
Avalked  rapidly,  with  his  head  bent  forward.  He  had 
a  grave,  thoughtful  face ;  but  when  anything  interested 
or  excited  him  his  form  became  erect,  his  eyes  flashed 
like  steel,  and  a  smile,  as  sweet  as  a  woman's,  would 
illumine  his  whole  face."  The  life  he  led  there,  and 
the  constant  exercise  of  drilling,  soon  developed  his 
frame,  and  he  became  ver\'  erect,  grew  rapidly,  and 
presented  a  fine,  soldierly  appearance.  The  hal)its  of 
neatness  and  system  wliich  are  taught  at  West  Point 
clung  to  him  through  life,  and  punctuality  was  ever 
regarded  by  him  as  a  virtue.  In  his  intercourse  with 
his  associates  lie  was  not  sociable,  except  with  a  few 
congenial  friends;  but  he  was  invariably  kind  and 
courteous  co  all,  and  always  ready  to  aid  in  nursing 


lULES   OF    MORALS  AND    MANNERS.  35 

the  sick  and  in  helping  those  who  were  in  trouble. 
During  his  second  year  he  was  known  to  receive  some 
demerits,  which  he  had  not  incurred  himself,  but  he 
chose  rather  to  bear  the  blame  silently  than  to  expose 
those  who  had  unjustly  cast  it  upon  him.  He  said  he 
did  not  remember  to  have  spoken  to  a  lady  during  the 
whole  time  he  was  at  West  Point,  but  he  devoted  him- 
self with  all  his  mind  and  soul  to  his  studies,  giving 
but  little  time  or  thought  to  anything  else.  After  his 
arduous  daily  studies,  he  found  recreation  in  walking, 
and  with  a  companion  or  alone  he  wandered  over  the 
beautiful  hills  and  valleys  around  West  Point,  and  de- 
lighted in  climbing  Fort  Putnam,  or  "  Old  Put,"  as 
the  cadets  called  this  great  cliff,  which  is  a  very  strik- 
ing feature  in  the  scenery,  and  from  which  he  greatly 
enjoyed  the  fine  view  of  the  majestic  river,  and  the 
varied  and  lovely  landscape. 

While  at  West  Point  he  compiled  in  a  private  blank- 
book,  for  his  own  use,  a  set  of  rules  and  maxims  re- 
lating to  morals,  manners,  dress,  choice  of  friends,  and 
the  aims  of  life.  Perhaps  the  most  characteristic  of 
these  maxims  was,  "  Yoit  may  he  ichatever  yov,  resolve 
to  he  f  but  others  will  show  the  standards  by  which 
he  shaped  his  own  conduct  and  character  : 

"  Through  life  let  your  principal  object  be  the  dis- 
charge of  duty.-^Disregard  public  opinion  when  it 
interferes  with  your  duty. — Endeavor  to  be  at  peace 
with  all  men. — Sacrifice  your  life  rather  than  your 
word. — Endeavor  to  do  well  everything  which  you 
undertake. — Never  speak  disrespectfully  of  any  one 
without  a  cause. — Spare  no  effort  to  suppress  selfish- 
ness, unless  that  effort  would  entail  sorrow. — Let  your 


36      LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

conduct  towards  men  have  some  uniformity. — Temper- 
ance :  Eat  not  to  dulness,  drink  not  to  elevation. — Si- 
lence:  Speak  but  wliat  may  benefit  others  or  your- 
self; avoid  trifling  conversation.— Resolve  to  perform 
what  you  ought  ;  perforin  without  fail  what  you  re- 
solve.— Frugality  :  jMake  no  exi)ense  but  to  do  good 
to  others  or  yourself  ;  waste  nothing. — Industry :  Lose 
no  time ;  be  always  employed  in  something  useful ;  cut 
off  unnecessary  actions.  —  Sincerity :  Use  no  hurtful 
deceit ;  think  innocently  and  justly,  and  if  you  speak, 
speak  accordingly.— Justice  :  Wrong  no  man  by  doing 
injuries,  or  omitting  the  benefits  that  are  your  duty. 
— Moderation :  Avoid  extremes ;  forbear  resenting  in- 
juries as  much  as  you  think  tliey  deserve.  Cleanli- 
ness: Tolerate  no  uncleanliness  in  bod3%  clothes,  or 
habitation.  Tranquillity  :  Be  not  disturbed  at  trifles, 
nor  at  accidents,  common  or  unavoidable. 

"  Motives  to  action :  1.  Kegard  to  your  own  happi- 
ness.    2.  Eegard  for  the  family  to  which  you  belong. 
-3.  Strive  to  attain  a  very  great  elevation  of  charac- 
ter.    4.  Fix  upon  a  high  standard  of  action  and  char- 
acter. 

"  It  is  man's  highest  interest  not  to  violate,  or  attemi)t 
to  violate,  the  rules  which  Infinite  Wisdom  has  laid 
down.  The  means  by  which  men  are  to  attain  great 
elevation  may  be  classed  in  three  divisions — physical, 
mental,  and  moral.  Whatever  relates  to  health,  be- 
longs to  the  first;  whatever  relates  to  the  improve- 
ment of  the  mind,  belongs  to  the  second.  The  for- 
mation of  good  manners  and  virtuous  habits  consti- 
tutes the  third. 


rOLlTK.NESS  AND   GOOD-BREEDING.  37 

"Choice  of  Friends.  1.  A  man  is  known  by  the 
company  he  keeps.  2.  Be  cautious  in  your  selection. 
3.  There  is  danger  of  catching  the  habits  of  your  as- 
sociates. 

"  4.  Seek  those  who  are  intelligent  and  virtuous ; 
and,  if  possible,  those  who  are  a  little  above  you,  es- 
pecially in  moral  excellence. 

"  5.  It  is  not  desirable  to  have  a  large  number  of 
intimate  friends  ;  you  may  have  nian}^  acquaintances, 
but  few  intimate  friends.  If  you  have  one  who  is 
what  he  should  be,  you  are  comparatively  happy. 

"  That  friendship  may  be  at  once  fond  and  lasting, 
there  must  not  only  be  equal  virtue  in  each,  but  virtue 
of  the  same  kind :  not  only  the  same  end  must  be  pro- 
posed, but  the  same  means  must  be  approved." 

He  had  also  copied  the  following  rules  from  a 
book  of  etiquette  on  Politeness  and  Good-breeding : 

'•Good-breeding,  or  true  politeness,  is  the  art  of 
sliowing  men  by  external  signs  the  internal  regard 
we  have  for  them.  It  arises  from  good  sense,  im- 
proved by  good  company.  It  must  be  acquired  by 
practice  and  not  by  books. 

"  Be  kind,  condescending,  and  aflFable.  Any  one  who 
has  anything  to  say  to  a  fellow-being,  to  say  it  with 
kind  feelings  and  sincere  desire  to  please ;  and  this, 
whenever  it  is  done,  will  atone  for  much  awkwardness 
in  the  manner  of  expression. 

"  Good-breeding  is  opposed  to  selfishness,  vanity,  or 
pride.  Xever  weary  your  company  by  talking  too 
long  or  too  frequently.  Alwa^'s  look  people  in  the 
face  when  addi-essing  them,  and  generally  v;hen  they 


38       Lli-'K  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

address  you.  Never  engross  the  whole  conversation 
to  yourself.  Say  as  little  of  yourself  and  friends  as 
possible. 

"  Make  it  a  rule  never  to  accuse  without  due  con- 
sideration any  body  or  association  of  men.  Xever  try 
to  appear  more  wise  or  learned  than  the  rest  of  the 
company.  Not  that  you  should  affect  ignorance,  but 
endeavor  to  remain  within  3'our  own  proper  sphere." 

During  these  four  years  at  the  Military  Academy 
he  had  but  one  personal  difficulty.  This  was  caused 
by  another  cadet  changing  his  uncleaned  musket  for 
Jackson's,  which  was  always  kept  in  perfect  order. 
The  trick  was  very  soon  discovered  by  the  latter, 
whose  suspicion  fell  at  once  upon  the  real  culprit ;  but 
as  his  gun  fortunately  had  a  private  mark  upon  it,  he 
knew  it  could  be  identified  ;  so  after  telling  the  cap- 
tain of  the  circumstances,  he  quietly  bided  his  time 
until  that  evening  at  the  inspection  of  arms,  when  his 
clean,  shining  musket  was  found  in  the  hands  of  the 
man  whom  he  had  suspected,  who,  when  he  was  ac- 
cused of  the  dishonorable  deed,  attempted  to  shield 
himself  by  telling  a  falsehood.  Jackson,  who  was 
disgusted  with  the  indolence  and  meanness  of  the  ca- 
det, declared  that  he  was  a  disgrace  to  the  Academy, 
and  that  he  would  have  him  court-martialled  and  dis- 
missed. It  was  only  by  the  urgent  remonstrance  of 
both  cadets  and  professors  that  he  could  be  induced 
to  give  up  his  determination.  The  disgrace  of  the 
young  man  overtook  him,  however,  in  a  short  time 
after,  when  he  was  expelled  from  the  Academy  for 
violating  his  parole  of  honor. 

Jackson  graduated  on  the  oOth  of  June,  184(!,  at  the 


HE    GRADUATES   FROM   WEST    TOIXT.  39 

as:e  of  twentv-two  vears,  iind  received  the  brevet  rank 
of  second  lieutenant  of  artillery.  His  attacliinent  to 
his  Alma  ]\[ater  was  very  strong,  and  upon  revisiting 
the  place,  on  a  bridal  toui-,  in  the  summer  of  1857,  his 
delio'ht  was  unbounded.  The  reunion  with  his  old 
professors  and  brother-officers  was  most  cordial  and 
gratifying,  and  with  the  latter  he  had  long  talks  and 
many  hearty  laughs  over  old  barrack  reminiscences. 
At  the  dawn  of  day  he  was  off  to  climb  the  heights 
of  Fort  Putnam,  and  once  more  to  enjoy  the  view 
of  the  Hudson,  winding  among  the  hills  and  dales  of 
that  enchanting  region.  There  was  scarcely  a  spot 
that  he  did  not  visit  in  and  around  West  Point. 


CHAPTER  lY. 

THE    WAR  WITH    MEXICO— 1846-1848. 

"When  young  Jackson  graduated  at  AVest  Point,  the 
war  with  Mexico  had  begun,  and  his  whole  class  was 
ordered  to  proceed  at  once  to  the  scene  of  action.  Our 
lieutenant  had  orders  to  report  immediately  for  dut}'^ 
with  the  First  Regiment  of  Artillery,  and  went  direct- 
ly to  Xew  Orleans,  fi'om  which  he  sailed  for  Mexico. 
General  "VVinfield  Scott  was  the  commander-in-chief 
of  the  army  of  the  United  States.  The  war  contin- 
ued two  years,  and  Jackson  was  in  most  of  the  battles 
that  were  fought  from  Yera  Cruz  to  the  fall  of  the 
capital,  which  ended  hostilities. 

On  the  9th  of  March,  1847,  thirteen  thousand  five 
hundred  men  landed  in  one  day  upon  the  open  beach 
near  Yera  Cruz ;  and  as  they  disembarked  from  the 
many  vessels  of  the  squadron,  under  a  cloudless  sky, 
and  marched  in  perfect  order,  with  martial  music 
and  colors  fl.ying,  amid  the  cheers  of  the  enthusiastic 
soldiers,  and  took  their  positions  by  sunset,  it  was  a 
spectacle  that  impressed  Lieutenant  Jackson  as  ex- 
ceeding in  brilliance  and  animation  any  that  he  had 
ever  witnessed.  Tlie  city  was  taken  in  a  few  days, 
and  in  the  battle  Captain  John  Bankhead  Magruder 
greatly  distinguislied  himself  as  commander  of  liis  bat- 
tery of  light  field  artillery.  lie  was  a  very  strict  dis- 
ciplinarian, and  the  position  of  second  lieutenant  being 


THE   BATTLE   OF  CHERUBUSCO.  41 

vacant  in  his  battery,  there  were  not  many  youno-  offi- 
cers who  desired  the  })Uice.  But  Jackson,  who  saw  that 
its  dangers  and  hardships  offered  advantages  for  quick 
promotion,  apphed  for  and  received  the  appointment. 
Magruder  was  a  daring  officer,  always  in  the  thickest 
of  the  light,  where  his  dash  and  heroism  won  him  great 
distinction,  in  which  his  subordinates  were  bound  to 
share,  and,  of  course,  had  the  opportunity  of  winning 
glory  for  themselves. 

In  the  battle  of  Cherubusco  Captain  Magruder  lost 
his  first  lieutenant,  Mr.  Johnstone,  early  in  the  action ; 
and  as  Jackson  had  to  take  his  place,  he  was  advanced 
next  in  command  to  the  captain,  whom  we  will  leave 
to  describe  the  manner  in  which  his  young  lieutenant 
acquitted  himself.  In  his  official  report,  Captain  Ma- 
gruder says :  "  In  a  few  moments.  Lieutenant  Jack- 
son, commanding  the  second  section  of  the  battery, 
who  had  opened  fire  upon  the  enemy's  works  from  a 
position  on  the  right,  hearing  our  fire  still  further  in 
front,  advanced  in  handsome  style,  and  being  assigned 
by  me  to  the  post  so  gallantly  filled  by  Lieutenant 
Johnstone,  kept  up  the  fire  with  great  briskness  and 
effect.  His  conduct  Avas  equally  conspicuous  during 
the  whole  day,  and  I  cannot  too  highly  commend  him 
to  the  major-general's  favorable  consideration."  For 
his  gallantry  in  this  battle  he  Avas  promoted  to  the 
brevet  rank  of  captain. 

In  storming  the  Castle  of  Chapultepec,  Captain  Ma- 
gruder again  compliments  him  highl3%  and  recom- 
mends him  for  promotion  thus :  "  I  beg  leave  to  call 
the  attention  of  the  major-general  commanding  to  the 
conduct  of  Lieutenant  Jackson  of  the  First  Artillery. 
If  devotion,  industry,  talent,  and  gallantry  are  the 


42  Llf'E    OF    (iEXERAL    THOMAS   J.  JACKSON. 

highest  quahties  of  a  soldier,  then  is  he  entitled  to 
the  distinction  which  their  possession  confers.  I  have 
been  ably  seconded  in  all  the  operations  of  the  bat- 
tery by  him ;  and  upon  this  occasion,  when  circum- 
stances placed  him  in  command,  for  a  short  time,  of 
an  independent  section,  he  proved  himself  eminently 
worthy  of  it." 

General  Scott,  in  his  official  report,  makes  honora- 
ble mention  of  the  part  young  Jackson  bore  in  this 
assault,  and  Generals  Pillow  and  Worth  both  add  their 
testimony  to  his  meritorious  conduct.  General  Pillow 
says  :  "  The  advanced  section  of  the  battery,  under 
command  of  the  brave  Lieutenant  Jackson,  was  dread- 
fully cut  up,  and  almost  disabled.  .  .  .  Captain  Ma- 
gruder's  battery,  one  section  of  which  was  served 
with  great  gallantry  by  himself  and  the  other  by  his 
brave  lieutenant,  Jackson,  in  face  of  a  galling  fire 
from  the  enemy's  position,  did  invaluable  service." 

General  Worth  speaks  of  him  as  "  the  gallant  Jack- 
son, who.  although  he  had  lost  most  of  his  horses  and 
many  of  his  men,  continued  chivalrously  at  his  post, 
combating  with  noble  courage." 

A  brother  officer,  who  was  not  only  an  eye-witness, 
but  an  actor  in  the  storming  of  Chn])ultepec.  gives 
the  following  details  of  Jackson's  }>art  in  the  as- 
sault : 

"  Lieutenant  Jackson's  section  of  Magrudei''s  battery 
was  subjected  to  a  plunging  fire  from  the  Castle  of  Cha- 
pultepec.  The  little  six-pounders  could  effect  nothing 
against  the  guns  of  the  Mexicans,  of  much  heavier  cali- 
bre, firing  from  an  elevation.  The  horses  were  killed 
or  disabled,  and  the  men  became  so  demoralized  that 


THE   STORMING   OF   CHAPULTKrEC.  43 

they  deserted  the  guns  and  song-ht  shelter  behind  a 
wall  or  embankment.  Lieutenant  Jackson  remained 
at  the  guns,  walking  back  and  forth,  and  kept  saying, 
'  See,  there  is  no  danger ;  I  am  not  hit '/  AVhile  stand- 
ing with  his  legs  wide  apart,  a  camion-ball  passed  be- 
tween them;  and  this  fact  prol)ably  prevented  him 
from  ha\iiig  any  confidence  in  what  the  soldiers 
playfnlly  called  being  '  stung  by  a  bondj.'  The  assault- 
ing columns  for  the  storming  of  Chapultepec  consisted 
of  250  regulars  from  Twiggs's  Division  and  250  regu- 
lars from  Worth's.  These  Avere  all  volunteers  for  the 
forlorn  hope.  The  officers  and  non-commissioned  offi- 
cers were  induced  to  volunteer  by  the  promise  of  pro- 
motion, and  the  men  by  the  promise  of  pecuniary  re- 
ward. The  rifle  regiment  under  Colonel  Persifer  F. 
Smith,  the  Palmetto  Kegiment,  and  the  Marine  Bat- 
tahon  under  Major  Twiggs  (brother  of  the  general) 
supported  the  storming  party  from  Twiggs's  Division. 
When  the  castle  was  captured,  many  of  the  stormers 
dispersed  in  search  of  plunder  and  liquor.  A  few  pur- 
sued promptly  the  retreating  column  of  Mexicans. 
Lieutenants  D.  H.  Hill  and  Barnard  Bee  followed 
down  the  causeway  towards  the  Garita  of  San  Cosme. 
Every  shot  told  on  the  huddled  and  demoralized  thou- 
sands of  Mexicans,  but  their  fire  back  upon  the  thirsty, 
pursuing  Americans  was  harndess.  After  the  chase 
had  been  continued  over  a  mile,  Lieutenant  Jackson 
came  up  with  two  pieces  of  artilleiy,  and  joined  the 
two  young  officers.  They  now  pressed  on  vigorously. 
Captain  Magruder  himself  soon  appeared  with  cais- 
sons and  men,  but  no  additional  guns.  He  expressed 
a  fear  of  losing  the  two  guns,  as  the  division  of  Gen- 
eral Worth  was  far  in  the  rear,  but  he  yielded  to  the 


44  LIFE   OF   GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

solicitations  of  the  young  men,  and  continued  the 
mai-ch.  Shortly  after  the  arrival  of  Captain  Magru- 
der  a  column  of  two  thousand  cavalry,  under  General 
Ampudia,  made  a  demonstration  of  charging  upon  the 
guns.  They  were  unlimbered,  and  a  rapid  tire  was 
opened  upon  the  Mexicans,  who  retreated  without  at- 
tacking the  artillery.  It  was  not  judged  prudent  to 
proceed  farther,  and  the  command  halted  until  Gen- 
eral Worth  came  up.  The  part  played  later  in  the 
day  by  the  battery  at  the  Garita  of  San  Cosme  is  men- 
tioned in  the  official  reports.  For  gallantry  in  the 
battles  of  Contreras  and  Cherubusco,  on  the  20th  of 
August,  Lieutenant  Jackson  had  been  brevetted  a  cap- 
tain ;  and  now  this  storming  of  Chapultepec,  on  the 
13th  of  September,  Avon  him  the  brevet  of  major.  In 
the  first  batch  of  brevetted  promotions  there  were  only 
five  or  six  who  received  double  brevets,  and  these 
were  the  first  who  were  promoted  on  recommenda- 
tions from  the  field."  Jackson  was  among  this  num- 
ber, and  was  the  only  one  of  his  class  who  rose  to  this 
distinction.  "Xo  other  officer  in  the  whole  army  in 
Mexico  was  promoted  so  often  for  meritorious  condi-.ct 
or  made  so  great  a  stride  in  rank." 

In  the  storming  of  Chapultepec,  when  at  the  mo- 
ment of  greatest  danger  he  was  almost  deserted  by  his 
men,  he  refused  to  retire  without  orders  from  liis  com- 
mander. However,  he  was  soon  relieved  by  reinforce- 
ments. Years  afterwards,  when  his  pupils  at  Lexing- 
ton were  asking  him  for  the  particulars  of  the  scene, 
he  modestly  described  it,  when  one  of  them  exclaimed, 
in  astonishment,  "  Major,  why  didn't  you  run  when 
your  command  was  so  disabled?"    With  a  quiet  smile 


"MY    DUTY    IS   TO    OBEY   ORDERS."  45 

he  re]ilied,  "  I  was  not  ordered  to  do  so.  If  I  had 
been  ordered  to  run,  I  should  have  done  so;  but  I  was 
directed  to  hold  my  position,  and  I  hud  no  right  to 
abandon  it."  In  after-years  he  confessed  that  the 
part  he  played  in  stepping  out  and  assuring  his  men 
that  there  was  no  danger,  when  the  (•aiin(>n-l)all  passed 
between  his  legs,  was  the  only  wilful  falsehood  he 
ever  told  in  his  life !  In  speaking  of  the  storming  of 
Chapultepec  to  a  friend,  he  described  one  of  those 
awful  casualties  of  war  when,  in  consequence  of  some 
misunderstanding  on  the  part  of  the  besieged  in  ob- 
serving directions  to  clear  the  streets  of  the  city  of 
non-combatants,  the  guns  of  his  battery  were  ordered 
to  sweep  a  street  which  was  filled  by  a  panic-stricken 
crowd,  and  after  the  smoke  of  the  charge  had  cleared 
away  he  could  trace  distinctly  the  track  of  destruc- 
tion his  own  guns  had  made.  No  one  felt  more  than 
he  the  horrors  of  war ;  but,  with  his  high  sense  of  a 
soldier's  duty,  he  felt  that  he  had  no  right  to  "  ask  the 
reason  why,"  or  to  stop  to  consider  the  consequences. 
As  he  often  said,  "  My  duty  is  to  obey  orders  .^" 

After  the  occupation  of  the  cit}"  of  Mexico  by 
the  United  States  troops,  there  was  a  season  of 
rest  for  several  months,  which  was  very  refreshing 
and  delightful  to  Major  Jackson ;  and  as  he,  with  a 
number  of  other  officers,  had  their  quarters  in  the 
national  palace,  he  used  to  say  jocularly  that  no  one 
came  nearer  to  realizing  the  boast  of  the  politicians 
of  the  day,  that  "their  soldiers  should  lodge  in  the 
halls  of  the  Montezumas !''' 

Here  his  life  of  ease  and  luxury  was  quite  a  contrast. 
to  the  stormy  period  through  which  he  had  passed ; 
and  when  we  hear  of  his  adopting  the  Spanish  cus- 


4:6       LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSOX. 

toms — taking  his  morning  cup  of  coffee  before  rising, 
his  late  dinner,  in  which  Spanish  art  ahuost  rivalled  the 
delicious  fruits  of  that  semi-tropical  climate — it  does  not 
surprise  us  that,  for  the  mere  delight  of  living,  he  con- 
sidered the  city  of  Mexico  to  surpass  all  others  he  had 
ever  known.  But  notwithstanding  his  luxurious  and 
attractive  surroundings,  the  young  soldier  never  neg- 
lected his  duties,  wliich  he  performed  with  the  utmost 
punctiliousness. 

After  the  cessation  of  hostilities  and  the  peaceful 
possession  of  the  capital  by  the  United  States  army, 
the  people  began  to  yield  kindly  to  the  advances  of 
the  conquerors,  and  there  was  soon  a  friendly  com- 
mingling of  the  two  nations  which  had  so  lately  been 
in  deadly  conflict.  The  homes  of  the  old  noblesse^ 
whose  pride  was  their  pure  Castilian  blood,  were 
opened  in  cordial  welcome  to  the  American  officers; 
and  the  charms  of  society  never  had  greater  fascina- 
tion for  Major  Jackson  than  when  in  the  presence  of 
the  beautiful  and  graceful  Mexican  women.  However, 
there  was  one  drawback  to  his  perfect  enjoyment,  for, 
much  as  he  could  feast  his  eyes,  he  could  not  have  the 
pleasure  of  conversing  with  these  charmers,  as  he  was 
ignorant  of  their  language.  But  to  a  go-ahead  young 
man  this  was  a  trifle  easily  overcome;  so  he  went  to 
work  and  studied  under  a  Spanish  gentleman,  until 
he  soon  learned  both  to  speak  and  read  Sj)anish  flu- 
ently, llis  admiration  for  the  language  was  great, 
and  he  always  said  it  was  meant  for  lovers,  the  terms 
of  endearment  being  so  musical  and  abundant.  He 
, adopted  them  for  his  own  use,  and  delighted  in  lav- 
ishing them  upon  those  dearest  to  him.  Indeed,  he 
acknowlediied  that  he  came  verv  iiciii"  losinii-  his  heart 


SOCIETY    IN   THE   CITY    OF    MEXICO.  4,7 

in  ]\rexico,  the  fascinations  of  at  least  one  dark-eyed 
sefioi'ita  ))roving-  almost  too  great  for  his  resistance ; 
but  lie  found  safety  in  compelling  himself  to  discon- 
tinue his  visits,  and  thus  escaped  capture.  •*  Discre- 
tion is  the  better  part  of  valor  "  was  a  maxim  that  he 
often  quoted.  He  formed  some  warm  attachments  for 
his  ''  line  Spanish  friends,"  as  he  called  them,  and 
brought  home  a  number  of  interesting  little  souvenirs 
with  which  they  presented  him :  among  them  a  hand- 
some ])aper-knife,  card-cases,  gold  pencil,  and  a  mas- 
sive silver  spoon  that  might  have  been  designed  for 
ro3'alty,  it  having  a  curious  little  compartment  in  the 
centre,  for  the  purpose  of  testing  poison  1  Those  who 
knew  him  afterwards  as  so  strict  and  rigid  in  his  ab- 
stinence from  worldly  pleasures  ma}'  be  surprised  to 
know  that  as  a  young  man  he  was  very  fond  of  danc- 
ing, and  participated  with  great  zest  in  the  balls  of 
the  pleasure -loving  Mexicans.  Years  later,  in  the 
privacy  and  freedom  of  his  own  home  in  Lexington, 
he  used  frequently  to  dance  the  polka  for  exercise, 
but  no  eye  but  that  of  his  wife  was  ever  permitted  to 
Avitness  this  recreation.  The  delicious  climate  and 
beautiful  scenery  of  Mexico,  with  its  wealth  of  flow- 
ers and  tropical  fruits,  so  charmed  him  that  he  often 
said  that  if  the  people  had  been  equal  to  their  climate, 
and  the  civil  and  religious  privileges  had  been  as  great 
as  those  of  his  own  country,  he  would  have  preferred 
a  home  there  to  any  other  part  of  the  world.  Yet  in 
the  midst  of  all  this  gayety  he  had  his  sober  thoughts, 
and  it  was  while  still  in  Mexico  that  he  began  that 
religious  life  which  was  so  marked  in  all  his  future 
career. 

The  commanding  officer  of  his  regiment,  the  First 


48  I'lfK    OK   GENERAL    THOMAS   J.  JACKSOX. 

Artillcj'v,  was  ('olonel  Francis  Taylor,  an  earnest 
Christian,  who  labored  much  for  the  spii'itual  welfare 
of  his  soldiers.  He  was  the  tirst  man  to  speak  to  Jack- 
son on  the  subject  of  personal  religion,  with  whom  the 
sense  of  duty  was  so  strong  that  once  convinced  that 
a  thino'  was  rig^ht  and  that  he  ou"'ht  to  do  it,  he  ini- 
mediately  undertook  it ;  and  so  he  resolved  to  study 
the  Bible  and  seek  all  the  light  within  his  reach.  At 
that  time  he  had  Init  little  kuowlctlge  of  creeds,  and 
no  special  preference  for  any  denomination.  His 
mother,  it  is  supposed,  had  been  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Church,  but  after  his  separation  from  her 
at  an  early  age  it  is  not  likely  that  he  received  any 
religious  instruction.  One  statement  is  that  his  mother 
had  him  baptized  in  infancy  by  a  Presbyterian  clergy- 
man, the  Rev.  Asa  Brooks;  but  if  this  be  so,  it  is 
probable  that  he  did  not  know  it  liimself,  or  he  would 
not  have  had  the  rite  administered  to  him  after  he 
was  grown  to  manhood,  for  he  believed  in  infant  bap- 
tism. He  had  been  more  accustomed  to  the  Episcopal 
service  than  any  other,  as  the  chaplains  at  West  Point 
and  in  the  army  had  been  chiefly  of  that  denomina- 
tion, and  his  friend  Colonel  Taylor  was  a  devout 
Episcopalian ;  but  he  determined  to  examine  all  the 
religious  creeds,  and  decide  for  himself  which  came 
nearest  to  his  ideas  of  the  Bible  standard  of  faith  and 
practice.  Being  then  in  the  midst  of  educated  Roman 
Catholics,  he  resolved  to  investigate  their  system,  and 
for  this  purpose  he  sought  the  acquaintance  of  the 
Archbishop  of  Mexico,  with  whom  he  had  several 
interviews.  He  believed  him  to  be  a  sincere  and  de- 
vout man,  and  was  impressed  with  his  learning  and 
affability  ;  but  the  venei'aljle  prelate  failed  to  convince 


STO^'K^VALL    JACKSON   AT   THE    AGE    OF    TWENTV-FOUU. 

(From  a  dafiuerreolype.) 


STATIONED    AT    FOKT    HAMH/roN.  49 

him  of  the  truth  of  his  tenets  of  belief.  His  prefer- 
ence for  a  simplei-  form  of  faith  and  worship  led  him 
to  wait  until  he  could  have  the  opportunity  of  leai-n- 
ing-  more  of  other  churches. 

The  United  States  trooi)s  returned  from  Mexico  in 
the  summer  of  1848,  and  Major  Jackson's  command 
was  stationed  for  two  years  at  Fort  Hamilton,  on 
Long   Island.     Here  he  led  a  quiet,  uneventful  life, 
forming   some   ]ileasant  friendships  among   the  resi- 
dents, and  especially  witli  the  ladies  of  the  garrison. 
He  attended  with  more  diligence  than  ever  to  his  re- 
ligious duties,  but  acknowledged  that  he  went  through 
his  Bible  reading  and  prayers  with  no  feeling  stronger 
than  having  performed  a  duty.     Colonel  Taylor  was 
residing  near  him,  and  their  intercourse  was^  deligh1> 
ful  and  instructive  to  the  junior  officer,  who  always 
spoke  of  his  colonel   with   gratitude  and  reverence. 
The  chaplain  of  the  garrison  at  that  time  is  said  to 
have  been  a  Rev.  Mr.  Parks,  to  whom  Major  Jackson 
became  much  attached,  and   at    whose  hands  it  has 
been  reported  that  he  received  the  sacrament  of  bap- 
tism.    That  he  had  such  a  friend  and  spiritual  ad- 
viser is  doubtless  true,  but  that  he  was  baptized  by 
him  is  a  mistake.     I  visited  Fort  Hamilton  a  few 
years  ago,  and  sought  out  the  little  chapel  in  whicli 
he  worshipped  while  there  (St.  John's  Episcopal),  and 
With  the  aid  of  one  of  the  wardens,  a  friend  of  Major 
Jackson,  examined  the  records  of  the  church,  where 
appeared  the  following  entry  : 

''On  Sunday,  29th  day  of  April,  1849,  I  baptized 
Thomas  Jefferson  Jackson,  major  in  the  U.  S.  Army. 
Sponsors,  Colonels  Dimick  and  Taylor. 

"  M.   SonOKIKLD." 

4 


50  LIFE   OF   GENERAL   THOMAS   J.  JACKSON." 

The  minister  very  naturally  made  the  mistake  of 
supposing  his  second  name  was  Jefferson,  instead  of 
Jonathan,  the  ilkistrious  President  of  that  name  hav- 
ing had  so  many  namesakes.  Upon  the  church  rec- 
ords it  was  also  interesting  to  find  the  name  of  Robert 
E.  Lee,  Captain  Corps  Engineers,  as  a  vestryman  in 
18-1:2.  The  names  of  the  rectors  of  the  parish  up  to 
that  time  Avere  given,  but  that  of  Mr.  Parks  does  not 
appear  among  them.  It  is  my  impression  that  Mr. 
Parks  had  charge  of  a  church  in  the  city  of  New 
York,  as  I  have  heard  Major  Jackson  sjieak  warmly 
and  gratefully  of  a  ministerial  friend  in  that  city  ;  and 
as  Mr.  Parks  wiis  an  alumnus  of  West  Point,  this  is 
most  probable. 

Although  he  had  ap]ilied  for  and  received  the  sacra- 
ment of  baptism  in  the  Episco]ml  Church,  his  mind 
was  not  yet  made  up  on  the  subject  of  churches,  and 
he  chose  to  wait  for  further  opportunities  of  acquaint- 
ing himself  with  the  creeds.  But  having  accepted 
Jesus  Christ  as  his  Saviour  and  Redeemer,  he  wished 
to  avow  his  faith  before  men,  and  became  a  member 
of  that  "Holy  Catholic  Church"  wliose  creed  is  em- 
braced by  all  evangelical  denominations.  Baptism 
in  the  Episcopal  Church  gave  him  the  right  to  be- 
come a  communicant,  and  with  this  privilege  he  was 
content,  and  he  did  not  ap})ly  for  the  rite  of  con- 
firmation. 

One  of  the  pleasant  experiences  of  his  garrison  life 
at  Fort  Hamilton  was  the  horseback  exercise  he  daily 
indulged  in;  and,  mounted  on  a  favorite  little  horse, 
"  Fancy,"  he  rode  all  over  the  country,  and  along  the 
shores  of  the  beautiful  liav. 


CHAPTEK  y. 

PROFESSOR   IN   THE   VIRGINIA   MILITARY   INSTITUTE— 

1851-1861. 

At  the  close  of  his  two  years'  term  of  service  at 
Fort  Hamilton,  Major  Jackson  was  ordered  to  Fort 
Meade,  near  Tampa  Bay,  in  Florida,  where  he  re- 
mained about  six  months.  The  warm  climate  he 
found  enervating  and  injurious  to  his  health  ;  but  a 
delightful  change  soon  came,  removing  him  to  the 
bracing  air  of  the  Valley  of  Virginia.  This  great 
valley,  which  lies  between  the  two  ranges  of  the  Blue 
Ridge  and  Alleghany  Mountains,  is  justly  celebrated 
as  the  most  beautiful,  picturesque,  and  fertile  part  of 
the  State.  The  county  of  Rockbridge  derives  its 
name  from  the  Natural  Bridge,  where  a  massive  and 
solid  arch  of  rock  spans  a  chasm,  into  whose  depths  the 
beholder  looks  down  with  aAve.  At  the  bottom  of  the 
ravine  a  little  stream  ripples  along,  adding  a  tender 
grace  and  beauty  to  the  surrounding  sublimity  and 
grandeur. 

Of  this  famous  county,  Lexington  is  the  capital 
town.  If,  in  describing  this  little  gem  of  a  place,  I 
seem  extravagant,  the  reader  will  pardon  me,  since 
here  was  centred  all  the  romance  of  my  life ;  here 
were  spent  my  happiest  days ;  and  it  is  stiU  to  me 
the  most  sacred  of  all  places,  as  here  the  mountains 
keep  watch  and  guard  around  the  home  and  the 
tombs  of  those  who  were  dearest  to  me  on  earth. 


52  LIFE    OF   GENERAL   THOMAS  J.    JACKSON, 

The  scenery  around  Lexington  is  exquisitely  beauti- 
ful, being  varied  by  ranges  of  mountains,  hills,  and 
valleys,  with  fine  forests  and  fertile  fields  of  fruit 
and  grain.  The  wealth  of  green  in  spring  and  sum- 
mer, the  resplendent  tints  of  autumn,  and  the  snow- 
capped peaks  of  winter  present  a  perpetual  feast  to  the 
eye.  Some  of  the  mountains  take  their  names  from 
the  objects  which  they  are  supposed  to  resemble.  The 
most  distinctive  one,  as  seen  from  the  town,  suggests 
the  form  of  a  large  building;  hence  it  is  called  the 
"  House  Mountain."  It  is  a  very  striking  feature  in 
the  western  horizon,  and  is  most  beautiful  when  light- 
ed up  b}"  the  setting  sun.  Another  ridge,  from  some 
fancied  resemblance,  is  called  the  "  Hog's  Back."  It 
is  a  fine  mountain  ridge,  in  spite  of  its  unromantic 
name. 

Lexington  has  long  been  noted  for  its  two  grand 
institutions,  one  of  which  was  founded  before  the 
Revolutionary  War,  and  received  a  large  endowment 
from  the  father  of  his  country,  from  which  it  was 
called  Washington  College — a  name  that  it  continued 
to  bear  until  after  the  late  war,  when  General  Lee  be- 
came its  president,  upon  which  his  name  was  also 
given  to  it,  so  that  what  was  before  Washington  Col- 
lege is  now  Washington  and  Lee  University.  Gen- 
eral Lee,  and  his  son,  General  G.  W.  Custis  Lee,  who 
succeeded  him  in  the  presidency,  have  improved  the 
spacious  grounds  till  they  are  as  attractive  as  a  city 
park.  The  former  built  the  chapel,  which,  after  his 
death,  was  made  a  memorial  chapel  and  a  mausoleum, 
in  which  is  placed  Valentine's  exquisite  recumbent 
statue  of  the  great  soldier.  This  is  to  the  visitor  the 
chief  attraction  of  Lexinofton. 


THE    VIlKJIXrA    MILITARY    INSTITUTK.  53 

A  few  hundred  yards  beyond  the  University,  upon 
the  same  elevated  ridge,  but  farther  out  of  town, 
stands  the  Virginia  Mihtary  Institute,  with  its  castel- 
lated l)uil(lings  and  extensive  grounds.  The  barracks 
command  a  magnificent  view  of  the  country  for  miles 
around.  This  school  was  founded  upon  the  model  of 
the  United  States  ]\[ilitary  Academy,  and  is  called  the 
"  West  Point  of  the  South." 

The  society  of  Lexington,  as  is  usual  in  seats  of 
learning,  is  so  cultivated  and  intelligent  that  it  ri- 
vals that  gathered  round  the  State  University  of 
Virginia.  But  apart  from  the  professors"  families, 
others,  attracted  by  these  opportunities  of  education, 
have  made  Lexington  their  liome ;  so  that  it  has  be- 
come known  in  all  the  country  not  only  as  a  seat  of 
learning,  but  of  general  cultivation,  refinement,  and 
hospitality. 

In  the  Military  Institute  Major  Jackson  was  elected 
Professor  of  Natural  and  Experimental  Philosophy 
and  Artillery  Tactics  on  the  27th  of  March,  1851,  and 
thus  Lexington  became  his  home  for  ten  years.  Of 
his  election  his  friend,  and  subsequently  his  brother- 
in-law,  General  D.  II.  Hill  (then  major),  gives  the  fol- 
lowing account : 

"  The  circumstances  attending  the  election  of  Major 
Jackson  to  a  chair  in  the  Virginia  Military  Institute 
will  be  of  interest  to  those  who  believe  in  the  special 
providence  of  God.  It  will  be  remembered  that  Gen- 
eral Scott  withdrew  from  General  Taylor  the  greater 
portion  of  his  regular  troops  for  the  invasion  of  Mex- 
ico by  the  Vera  Cruz  line.  The  troops  withdrawn 
marched  to  Caraargo,  where  they  took  river  steamers 


54       LIFE  Oi'  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 


THE  VIRGINIA   MIMTAKY  INSTITUTE. 

to  Point  Isabel,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Eio  Grande,  and 
waited  there  for  ocean  transports  to  take  them  to 
Vera  Cruz.  A  young  officer  who  had  served  with 
General  Taylor,  and  was  waiting  with  his  regiment 
on  the  beach  at  Point  Isabel,  strolled  over  one  after- 
noon to  see  Captain  Taylor,  of  the  artillery.  AVhile 
in  conversation,  Captain  Taylor  said  :  '  Here  comes 
Lieutenant  Jackson.  I  want  you  to  know  him.  He 
was  constantly  rising  in  the  class  at  West  Point,  and 
if  the  course  had  been  a  year  longer  he  would  have 
graduated  at  the  head  of  his  class.  He  will  make  his 
mark  in  this  war.'  The  young  men  were  introduced, 
and  soon  after  took  a  walk  on  the  beach.  Lieutenant 
Jackson  admiring  the  grandeur  of  the  ocean.  He 
said,  among  other  things :  '  I  envy  you  men  who  have 
been  in  battle.  How  I  would  like  to  be  in  one  battle !' 
and  expressed  the  fear  that  the  war  might  come  to  an 
end  before  his  wish  could  be  gratified.  Little  did  he 
then  know  how  many  scores  of  battles  lie  would  direct, 


HOW    IIK    CAME    TO    HE    A   PROEESSOR.  55 

and  liow  breathlessly  the  two  divided  sections  of  the 
nation  would  watch  his  terrible  movements!  The 
two  young  officers  parted  to  meet  under  the  walls  of 
Vera  Cruz.  After  a  night  of  toil  they  souo-ht  shelter 
under  a  sand-bank  to  snatch  a  few  hours'  sleep,  when 
an  enormous  shell  from  the  Castle  of  San  Juan  de 
riloa  came  crashing-  througii  tlieir  shelter,  and  nearlv 
ended  their  earthly  career.  They  were  side  by  side 
in  the  pursuit  of  the  Mexicans  after  the  fall  of  Cha- 
pul tepee,  and  they  met  again  some  time  after  the  capt- 
ure of  the  city  of  Mexico.  The  war  closed.  Major 
Jackson  remained  in  the  service." 

Major  Hill  himself  resigned,  and  accepted  a  profess- 
orship in  the  ''  College "  at  Lexington,  not  the  Mili- 
tary Institute.  A  few  years  after  he  had  been  here 
he  went  one  morning  to  see  Colonel  F.  II.  Smith, 
superintendent  of  the  Institute,  and  found  him  much 
perplexed  in  consequence  of  a  difference  between  him- 
self and  the  Board  of  Visitors.  They  wished  to  elect 
as  a  professor  R.  E.  Rodes  (afterwards  major-general 
in  the  Confederate  army),  and  he  preferred  a  gradu- 
ate of  West  Point.  There  was  a  good  deal  of  feeling 
among  them,  but  a  compromise  was  linally  effected, 
and  the  chair  was  offered  to  Professor  A.  V.  Stewart, 
a  graduate  of  West  Point,  but  at  that  time  in  Cum- 
berland University.  Professor  Stewart  had  declined, 
and  Colonel  Smith  apprehended  a  renewal  of  the  old 
trouble.  He  handed  an  Army  Catalogue  to  his  vis- 
itor, and  asked  him  to  suggest  a  suitable  officer  to  fill 
the  chair.  As  he  glanced  over  the  catalogue,  his  eye 
fell  upon  the  name  of  Jackson,  and  the  conversation 
with  Captain  Taylor  instantly  occurred  to  iiim — "  if 


56      LIFE  OF  GEXERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSOX. 

the  course  bad  been  one  year  longer,  Jackson  would 
have  graduated  at  the  bead  of  bis  class."  Colonel 
Smith  was  pleased  with  the  name  suggested.  In  a 
few  days  be  star,ted  for  Eicbmond,  where  there  was 
an  adjourned  meeting  of  the  Board.  The  Hon.  John 
S.  Carlisle,  representative  in  Congress  from  Western 
Virginia,  and  a  connection  of  Major  Jackson,  was  a 
member  of  the  Board,  and  heartily  endorsed  the  nom- 
ination. It  was  thought  desirable,  too,  to  elect  a  pro- 
fessor from  Western  Virginia  to  secure  patronage  from 
that  quarter,  most  of  the  cadets  then  coming  from  the 
East.  So  Major  Jackson  was  elected  unanimously  to 
the  chair  of  Natural  Philosophy,  Professor  Gilhani 
retaining  that  of  Chemistry. 

It  was  Major  Jackson's  connection  with  the  Virginia 
Military  Institute  which  opened  for  him  bis  career 
in  the  war.  It  identified  him  with  the  Valley,  and 
gave  him  Valley  men  for  bis  soldiers.  It  made  him 
familiar  with  the  ground  upon  which  bis  earliest  vic- 
tories were  won.  But  by  what  a  chain  of  apparently 
fortuitous  circumstances  was  he  led  to  Lexington ! 
The  conversation  at  Point  Isabel  was  the  first  link — 
the  intercourse  between  the  young  men  in  Mexico; 
the  disagreement  between  Colonel  Smith  and  the 
Board ;  Professor  Stewart's  declining ;  the  chance 
visit  to  Colonel  Smith's  office — these  were  the  sub- 
sequent links. 

At  the  time  of  Major  Jackson's  acceptance  of  this 
professorship  his  health  was  not  good,  and  bis  eyes, 
especially,  were  so  weak  that  be  had  to  exercise  great 
caution  in  using  them,  never  doing  so  at  night.  Thus 
crippled  for  liis  work,  a  friend  asked  him  if  it  was  not 
presumption  in  him  to  accept  the  place  when  he  was 


"WHAT    I    WIIJ.    TO    DO,  I    CAN    DO,"  57 

physically  incapacitated  to  lill  it.  "  Not  in  the  least," 
was  his  prompt  answer ;  ''  the  appointment  came  un- 
sought, and  was  therefore  providential ;  and  I  knew 
that  if  Providence  set  me  a  task,  he  would  give  me  the 
power  to  perform  it.  So  I  resolved  to  get  well,  and 
you  see  I  have.  As  to  the  rest,  I  knew  that  what 
/  willed  to  do,  I  could  do.''''  In  order  to  regain  his 
strength  for  his  new  Avork,  he  spent  a  part  of  July 
and  August  of  1851  on  Lake  Ontario,  and  the  rest  of 
the  summer  in  charge  of  the  corps  of  cadets  at  the 
^Varm  Springs  of  Virginia,  from  which  he  wrote  to 
his  uncle  Alfred  Neale :  ''  I  have  reported  at  Lexing- 
ton, and  am  delighted  with  my  duties,  the  place,  and 
the  people.  At  present  I  am  with  the  corps  of  cadets 
at  this  place,  where  we  may  remain  until  the  coiupany 
shall  leave,  which  may  be  some  time  hence.  T  recruit- 
ed very  rapidly  at  Lake  Ontario,  where  I  passed  part 
of  July  and  August.  It  would  have  given  me  much 
pleasure  to  have  visited  you  during  the  past  summer, 
but  I  am  anxious  to  devote  myself  to  study  until  I 
shall  become  master  of  my  profession." 

In  removing  to  Lexington,  he  found  there  a  number 
of  churches,  and  attended  one  and  another  to  see  which 
he  liked  best.  Up  to  this  time  he  knew  scarcely  any- 
thing of  Presbyterianism.  Here  he  found  that  church 
the  largest  and  most  influential,  embracing  many  of 
the  most  intelligent  families,  although  the  professors 
of  the  Institute  to  which  he  belonged  were  mostlv 
Episcopalians.  The  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  church. 
Dr.  William  S.  White,  was  a  devout  and  earnest  man 
of  Ood,  whose  kindness  and  affability  made  him  very 
winning  to  the  young  and  to  strangers.  His  impres- 
sive and  persuasive  style  of  preaching  attracted  and 


58  LIFE   OF   GENERAL   TllOilAS    J.  JACKSON. 

interested  the  new  professor,  who  soon  soug-ht  his  ac- 
quaintance, and  then  his  counsel  in  rehgious  matters. 
The  simphcity  of  tlie  Presbyterian  form  of  worship 
and  the  preaching  of  her  well-educated  ministry  im- 
pressed him  most  favorably,  and  after  a  careful  study 
of  her  standards  of  faith  and  practice  he  gave  his  pref- 
erence to  that  church.  It  has  been  said  that  he  be- 
came a  Presbyterian  by  marriage,  but  this  is  incorrect, 
for  he  had  made  his  choice  of  a  church  before  he 
made  choice  of  a  wife,  and  he  was  of  too  independent 
and  inflexible  a  nature  to  be  influenced  even  by  a  wife 
in  so  important  a  decision. 

In  his  frequent  interviews  with  Dr.  White,  the  latter 
became  more  and  more  interested  in  the  earnest,  can- 
did inquirer;  and  although  some  of  his  theories  were 
not  in  strict  accord  with  Presbyterianism,  yet  his  pas- 
tor was  so  impressed  with  the  genuineness  of  his  faith 
and  his  extreme  conscientiousness  that  he  did  not  hes- 
itate to  receive  him  to  tlie  comnmnion.  lie  made  a 
public  profession  of  his  faith  on  the  22d  of  November, 
1851,  and  became  more  and  more  attached  to  tlie 
church  of  his  choice  Avith  the  lapse  of  time;  his  chffi- 
culties  of  doctrinal  belief  all  vanished,  and  he  was  a 
most  loyal  and  devoted  member  and  officer.  But  he 
vas  the  furthest  possible  remove  from  being  a  bigot. 
His  views  of  each  denomination  had  been  obtained 
from  itself,  not  from  its  opponents.  Hence  he  could 
see  excellences  in  all.  Even  of  the  Eoman  CatlioHc 
Church  he  had  a  much  more  favorable  impi'ession 
than  most  Protestants,  nnd  lie  fraternized  with  all* 
evangelical  denominations.  During  a  visit  to  New 
York  City,  one  Sabbath  morning,  we  chanced  to  find 
ourselves  at  the  door  of  an  Episcopal  church  at  the 


I'lil.sKVn.lilAN-    llllitril    AND    I.KCni!!.;    H()()\r,     LEXIN-tnON.    VA. 


A  DEACON    IN   THE    CHURCH.  59 

hour  for  worship.  lie  proposed  that  we  should  enter  ; 
and  as  it  was  a  day  for  the  celebration  of  the  coni- 
niunion,  he  remained  for  that  service,  of  which  he  })ar- 
took  in  the  most  devout  manner.  It  was  with  the 
utmost  reverence  and  solemnity  that  he  walked  up 
the  chancel  and  knelt  to  receive  the  elements.  In  his 
church  at  Lexington  it  has  been  said  that  he  was  an 
elder,  but  he  never  rose  higher  than  a  deacon,  whose 
duties  are  purely  temporal,  to  collect  the  alms  of  the 
church  and  to  distribute  to  the  destitute.  These  hum- 
ble duties  Major  Jackson  discharged  with  scrupulous 
fidelity.  His  })astoi'  said  he  was  the  best  deactm  in 
the  church.  "With  a  soldiers  training  of  obedience  to 
superior  command,  he  followed  out  the  same  principle 
in  his  church  duties,  going  to  his  pastor,  as  his  chief, 
for  his  "orders,"  and  "reporting"  his  performance  of 
them  in  a  military  way.  He  never  permitted  anything 
to  interfere  with  his  attendance  upon  the  monthly 
meetings  of  deacons;  and  to  a  brother-deacon,  who 
excused  his  absence  by  pleading  that  he  had  not  the 
time  to  attend,  he  said :  "  I  do  not  see  how,  at  that 
houi*,  we  can  possibly  lack  time  for  this  meeting,  or 
can  have  time  for  anything  else,  seeing  it  is  set  apart 
for  this  business." 

Between  his  pastor  and  himself  existed  the  most 
confidential  relations,  and  he  consulted  him  as  he 
would  a  father,  regardino:  him  as  a  man  of  great 
worldly  wisdom  and  discretion,  as  well  as  a  faithful 
leader  of  his  flock;  "  He  always  acted  on  the  princi- 
ple that  he  was  as  really  bound  to  'report'  the  condi- 
tion of  himself  and  family  to  his  pastor  as  the  latter 
was  to  minister  to  their  spiritual  wants." 

Few  men  had  such  reverence  for  ministers  of  the 


60       LIFE  OF  GEXERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

gospel,  and  he  often  said  that,  had  his  education  fitted 
him  for  it,  and  had  he  more  of  the  gift  of  speaking, 
he  would  have  entered  the  pulpit.  In  a  letter  to  his 
aunt,  Mrs.  Xeale,  he  said :  "  The  subject  of  becoming 
a  herald  of  the  cross  has  often  seriously  engaged  my 
attention,  and  I  regard  it  as  the  most  noble  of  all  pro- 
fessions. It  was  the  profession  of  our  divine  Redeem- 
er, and  I  should  not  be  surprised  were  I  to  die  upon  a 
foreign  field,  clad  in  ministerial  armor,  fighting  under 
the  banner  of  Jesus.  What  could  be  more  glorious? 
But  my  conviction  is  that  I  am  doing  good  here,  and 
that  for  the  present  I  am  where  God  would  have  me 
be.  "Within  the  last  few  days  I  have  felt  an  unusual 
religious  joy.  I  do  rejoice  to  walk  in  the  love  of  God. 
.  .  .  My  Heavenly  Father  has  condescended  to  use  me 
as  an  instrument  in  getting  up  a  large  Sabbath-school 
for  the  negroes  here.  He  has  greatly  blessed  it,  and, 
I  trust,  all  who  are  connected  with  it."  So  scrupulous 
was  he  in  the  performance  of  his  duties  that  he  would 
not  neglect  even  the  smallest,  saying,  ''  One  instance 
would  be  a  precedent  for  another,  and  thus  my  rules 
would  be  broken  down."  After  his  conscience  decided 
upon  questions  of  right  and  wrong,  liis  resolution  and 
independence  enabled  him  to  carry  out  his  principles 
with  a  total  disregard  of  the  opinions  of  the  world. 
He  thought  it  was  a  great  weakness  in  others  to  care 
what  impression  their  conduct  made  upon  public  opin- 
ion, if  their  consciences  were  only  clear.  The  fear  of 
the  Lord  was  tlie  onl}^  fear  lie  knew.  After  he  be- 
came a  Christian  he  set  his  face  against  all  Avorldly 
conformity,  giving  up  dancing,  theatre-going,  and  ev- 
ery amusement  that  had  a  tendency  to  lead  his  thoughts 
and  heart  away  from  holy  things.     Wlicii  a  (piestion 


rRAYINCx   IX   rUBLIC.  61 

was  raised  as  to  the  right  or  wrong  of  indulgences  that 
many  consider  innocent,  he  would  say  pleasantly : 
''  Well,  I  know  it  is  not  Avrong  not  to  do  it,  so  I'm  go- 
ing to  be  on  the  safe  side."  His  rule  was  never  to 
make  any  compromise  with  his  principles.  But  thei-e 
was  not  a  particle  of  asceticism  or  gloom  in  liis  relig- 
ion. It  shed  perpetual  sunshine  upon  his  life,  and  iiis 
cheerful  serenity  was  like  the  full-flowing  of  a  ])hiei(l 
stream.  His  faith  and  trust  led  him  to  feel  that  noth- 
ing could  happen  to  him  l)ut  what  was  sent  in  wisdom 
and  love  by  his  Heavenly  Father.  One  of  his  favorite 
texts  of  Scripture  was :  ''  We  know  that  all  things  work 
together  for  good  to  them  that  love  God.'" 

Soon  after  he  united  with  the  church,  his  pastor,  in 
a  public  discourse,  urged  his  flock  to  more  faithfulness 
in  attending  the  weekly  prayer-meeting,  and  enjoined 
upon  the  church  officers  and  members  especially  their 
duty  to  lead  in  prayer.  Hearing  this,  Major  Jackson 
called  to  inquire  if  he  was  among  those  who  were  ad- 
monished not  to  be  deterred  from  their  duty  by  mod- 
esty or  false  shame.  He  said  he  had  not  been  used 
to  public  speaking;  he  was  naturally  diffident,  and 
feared  an  effort  might  prove  anything  but  edifying  to 
the  assembly ;  "  but,"  he  continued,  ""  you  are  my  pas- 
tor, and  the  spiritual  guide  of  the  church  ;  and  if  i/ou 
think  it  m}'  duty,  then  I  shall  waive  my  reluctance  and 
make  the  effort  to  lead  in  prayer,  however  painful  it 
may  lie."  Thus  authorized  to  call  upon  him  if  he  thought 
proper,  after  a  time  the  pastor  did  so.  In  responding 
to  the  request,  his  embarrassment  was  so  great  that 
the  service  was  almost  as  painful  to  the  audience  as  it 
was  to  himself.  The  call  was  not  repeated,  and  after 
waiting  some  weeks,  the  major  again  called  upon  Doc- 


62  LIFE   OF  GENERAL  TH01.AS  J.  JACKSON. 

tor  White  to  know  if  he  had  refrained  from  a  second 
call  from  unwillingness  to  inflict  distress  upon  him 
through  his  extreme  diffidence.  The  good  pastor  was 
obliged  to  admit  that  he  did  shrink  from  requiring  a 
duty  of  him  which  was  rendered  at  such  a  sacritice, 
lest  his  own  enjoyment  of  the  meeting  be  destroyed. 
Hi5  reply  was :  "  Yes,  but  my  comfort  or  discomfort 
is  not  the  question ;  if  it  is  my  duty  to  lead  in  prayer, 
then  I  must  perseyere  in  it  until  I  learn  to  do  it  aright ; 
and  I  wish  you  to  discard  all  consideration  for  my 
feelings.''  The  next  time  he  was  called  upon  he  suc- 
ceeded better  in  repressing  his  agitation,  and  in  the 
course  of  time  he  was  able  to  pour  out  his  heart  be- 
fore God  with  as  much  freedom  in  the  public  meeting 
as  at  his  own  family  prayers. 

To  improve  himself  in  public  speaking,  he  joined  a 
debating  society  in  Lexington,  called  "  The  Franklin," 
and  his  first  efforts  there  were  on  a  par  with  those  in 
the  Presbyterian  lecture-room ;  but  his  perseyerance 
and  determination  overcame  his  difficulties  to  a  great 
extent,  and  he  acquired  cor.siderable  ease  and  fluency 
as  a  speaker. 

A  congregational  meeting  of  the  church  was  hekl 
to  determine  the  best  method  of  increasing  the  rev- 
enue of  the  church.  After  several  speeches,  in  which 
there  was  a  good  deal  of  diversity  of  opinion,  ^Major 
Jackson  rose  quietly,  and  in  a  short  but  stirring  ad- 
dress recalled  the  old  command,  not  "  to  rob  God  in 
tithes  and  offerings,"  emphasizing  the  point  that  if 
they  did  their  duty  as  church  members  all  their  diffi- 
culties would  come  to  an  end,  with  such  earnest  per- 
suasion as  led  an  eminent  divine  who  was  present  to  re- 
mark, "  Why,  the  major  was  really  eloquent  to-day !" 


ADOPTS  THE   RULE   OF  CIVING   A   TEXTII.  63 

In  his  own  giving  for  religious  purposes,  he  adopted 
the  Hebrew  system  of  tithes,  contributing  every  year 
one  tenth  of  his  income  to  the  church.  He  was  a 
liberal  giver  to  all  causes  of  benevolence  and  public 
enterprises,  and  during  the  war  he  gave  bounteously 
of  his  means  to  promote  the  spiritual  interests  of  the 
soldiers. 

During  a  summer  spent  in  the  little  village  of  Bev- 
erly, West  Virginia  (the  home  of  liis  sister),  he  was 
troubled  to  find  that  there  was  but  little  religious 
influence  in  the  place,  and  that  a  number  of  the  friends 
and  acquaintances  he  made  there  were  professed  infi- 
dels. So  great  was  his  desire  to  convince  them  of 
their  error  and  danger,  that  he  prepared  and  delivered 
a  brief  course  of  lectures  upon  the  evidences  of  Chris- 
tianity. A  military  man  was  not  often  seen  in  that 
remote  region,  and  this  led  him  to  hope  that  some 
might  be  drawn  even  by  curiosity  to  listen  to  some- 
thing from  him  more  favorablv  than  from  others, 
thouirh  it  might  be  much  inferior.  He  did  succeed  in 
attracting  crowds  of  hearers,  but  the  delivery,  he  said, 
was  one  of  the  greatest  trials  he  had  ever  had. 

In  social  life  Major  Jackson  w^as  not  what  is  called 
a  "  society  man ;"  indeed,  the  very  phrase  seems  an 
incongruity  as  applied  to  him.  But  before  his  mar- 
riage he  mingled  constantly  in  society — punctiliously 
performing  his  part  in  the  courtesies  which  are  due 
from  young  gentlemen — more,  ]ierhaps,  from  a  sense 
of  duty  than  from  inclination.  He  was  not  naturally 
social,  but  he  was  a  most  genuine  and  ardent  admirer 
of  true  womanhood  ;  and  no  man  was  more  respectful 
and  chivalrous  in  his  bearing  towards  the  gentler  sex. 
He  never  passed  a  woman  either  of  high  or  low  de- 


64  Llf'E    OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

gree,  Avhether  he  knew  her  or  not,  without  hfting 
his  cap,  and  he  was  never  lacking  in  any  attention  or 
service  that  he  could  render.  AVhen  a  lady  entered 
the  room  he  always  rose  to  his  feet  and  remained 
standing  until  she  was  seated.  But  with  all  his  polite- 
ness and  thorough  breeding,  he  was  so  honest  and 
conscientious  that  he  could  not  indulge  in  those  little 
meaningless  flatteries  with  which  young  people  are 
so  prone  to  amuse  themselves ;  hence  he  was  not  so 
popular  in  general  society  as  young  men  who  have 
no  scruples  of  that  sort.  But  he  had  his  friendships 
among  ladies  who  could  appreciate  him,  and  was  a 
frequent  visitor,  delighting  in  throwing  off  restraint 
and  making  himself  very  much  at  home.  In  a  letter 
to  a  friend  he  said :  "  The  kind  of  friends  to  whom  I 
am  most  attached  are  those  with  whom  I  feel  at  home, 
and  to  whom  I  can  go  at  all  proper  times,  and  infor- 
mally tell  them  the  object  of  my  call,  with  the  assur- 
ance that,  if  practicable,  they  will  join  me  in  carrying 
out  my  plans,  whether  they  are  for  an  evening  prom- 
enade, a  musical  soiree,  or  whatever  they  may  be ;  and 
all  this,  without  the  marred  pleasure  resulting  from  a 
conviction  that  afterwards  all  my  conduct  must  under- 
go a  judicial  investigation  before  '  Judge  Etiquette,' 
and  that  for  every  violation  of  his  code  I  must  be  cen- 
sured, if  not  socially  ostracized." 

A  Southern  lady  thus  describes  the  impression  that 
Major  Jackson  made  upon  her :  "  There  was  a  ])ecu- 
liarity  about  him  which  at  once  attracted  your  atten- 
tion. Dignified  and  rather  stiff,  as  military  men  are 
apt  to  be,  he  was  as  frank  and  unassuming  as  ])ossible, 
and  was  perfectly  natural  and  unaffected,  lie  always 
sat  bolt  upright  in  his  chair,  never  lounged,  never 


A    KXKiHT   OF   THK   ROUND   TAHI  F  ^^ 

DO 

crossed  l,is  le^s,  or  made  an  unnecessary  movement 
The  expression  of  his  soft  gray  eyes  ;.as  gentle,  yet 
commanding,  giving  yon  a  deligl.tful  feelinc-  of  the 
s^veetness,  ,mrity,  and  strength  of  his  character.     His 
dress  im  times  of  peace  at  least)  was  always  in  good 
taste,  and  faultlessly  neat.     Everything  he  wore  was 
of  the  best  material.     'A  thorough  gentleman'  was 
not  exactly  the  expression  to  describe  the  impression 
first  made  upon  you :  it  was  something  more--a  title 
of  greater  distinction  than  this  must  describe  him- 
a  modern  knight  of  King  Arthur's  Round  Table  ' 
would  have  more  properly  conveyed  the  in.lelible  pict- 
ure he  fi.xed  upon  your  mind.     Nothing  unworthv 
nothing  Ignoble,  nothing  of  modern  frivolity  and  littlV 
ness-any  thoughtful  observer  could  have  seen,  even 
before  the  war,  that  ■  Stonewall '  Jackson  was  a;  true 
a  hero  as  Bayard,  or  Baleigh,  or  Sidney  " 

The  following  picture  is  one  of  the  best  that  have 
ever  been  drawn,  and  may  well  have  the  merit  of  ac 
curacy,  smce  it  is  by  one  who  was  a  constant  observer 
as  he  was  on  his  staff,  and  thus  a  member  of  his  mill-' 
tary  family.     It  is  the  Rev.  Dr.  Dabnev  who  thus 
sketches  the  figure  of  his  chief :  "  His  person  was  tall 
erect,  and  muscular,  with  the  large  hands  and  fee 
characteristic  of  all  his  race.     His  bearing  was  pecul- 
iarly English;  and  therefore,  in  the  somewhat  free 
society  of  America,  was  regarded  as  constrained      Ev- 
ery movement  was  quick  and  decisive;  his  articula. 
faon  was  rapul  but  distinct  and  emphatic,  and,  accom- 
panied by  that  laoonic  and  perspicuous  phrase  to  which 
It  was  so  well  adapted,  it  often  made  the  impression 
o   curtness.     lie  practised  a  military  exactness  in  all 
the  courtesies  of  good  society.     Different  opinions  ex- 


66       LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

isted  as  to  his  comeliness,  because  it  varied  so  much 
with  the  condition  of  his  health  and  animal  spirits. 
His  brow  was  fair  and  expansive ;  his  eyes  Avere  blue- 
gray,  large,  and  expressive,  reposing  usually  in  placid 
calm,  but  able  none  the  less  to  flash  lightning.  His 
nose  was  Roman,  and  well  chiselled  :  his  cheeks  ruddy 
and  sunburnt :  his  mouth  firm  and  full  of  meaning,  and 
his  chin  covered  with  a  beard  of  comely  brown.  The 
remarkable  characteristic  of  his  face  was  the  contrast 
between  its  sterner  and  its  gentler  moods.  As  he 
accosted  a  friend,  or  dispensed  the  hospitalities  of  his 
own  house,  his  serious,  constrained  look  gave  place  to 
a  smile,  so  sweet  and  sunny  in  its  graciousness  that 
he  was  another  man.  And  if  anything  caused  him  to 
burst  into  a  hearty  laugh,  the  effect  was  a  complete 
metamorphosis.  Then  his  eyes  danced,  and  his  coun- 
tenance rippled  with  a  glee  and  nhandoti  literally  in- 
fantile. This  smile  was  indescribable  to  one  who  never 
saw^  it.  Had  there  been  a  painter  with  genius  subtile 
enough  to  fix  upon  his  canvas,  side  by  side,  the  spirit 
of  the  countenance  with  which  he  caught  the  sudden 
jest  of  a  child  romping  on  his  knees,  and  with  which, 
in  the  crisis  of  battle,  he  gave  the  sharp  command, 
'  Sw^eep  the  field  with  the  bayonet !'  he  would  have  ac- 
complished a  miracle  of  art,  which  the  spectator  could 
scarcely  credit  as  true  to  nature. 

"  In  walking,  his  step  was  long  and  ra])id,  and  at 
once  suggested  the  idea  of  the  dismounted  horseman. 
It  has  been  said  that  he  w^as  an  awkward  rider,  but 
incorrectly.  A  sufficient  evidence  of  this  is  the  fact 
that  he  was  never  thrown.  It  is  true  that  on  the 
march,  when  involved  in  thought,  he  was  heedless  of 
the  grace  of  his  posture ;  but  in  action,  as  he  rode 


PERSONAL   APPEARANCE    AND   MANNERS.  67 

with  bare  head  along  his  column,  acknowledging  the 
shouts  which  rent  the  skies,  no  figure  could  be  nobler 
than  his.  Ilis  judgment  of  horses  was  excellent,  and 
it  was  very  rare  that  he  was  not  well  mounted." 

His  passport,  which  he  procured  at  Washington  for 
a  European  trip  in  1856,  describes  him  thus :  "Stature 
five  feet  nine  and  three-quarter  inches,  English ;  fore- 
head full;  eyes  gray ;  nose  aquiline ;  mouth  small ;  chin 
oval;  hair  dark-brown ;  face  oval;  complexion  dark." 

The  last  is  a  mistake,  as  his  complexion  was  nat- 
urally fair,  but  was  very  susceptible  to  sunburn.  A 
lady  who  was  a  relative,  with  whom  he  lived  under 
the  same  roof  several  years,  says : 

"He  was  a  man  sni  generis;  and  none  who  came 
into  close  enough  contact  with  him  to  see  into  his 
inner  nature  were  willing  to  own  that  they  had  ever 
known  just  such  another  man."  After  she  was  allowed 
unguarded  insight  into  "  the  very  pulse  of  the  ma- 
chine," she  recalls  the  incredulity  with  which  her 
declaration'  that  Jackson  wa.^  the  very  stuff  out  of 
which  to  make  a  hero  was  received,  before  any  sword 
was  lifted  in  the  contest. 

She  describes  him  upon  his  first  entrance  into  Lex- 
ington society  as  "  of  a  tall,  very  erect  figure,  with  a 
military  precision  about  him  which  made  him  appear 
stiff,  but  he  was  one  of  the  most  polite  and  courteous 
of  men.  He  had  a  handsome,  animated  face,  flashing 
blue-gray  eyes,  and  the  most  mobile  of  mouths.  He 
was  voted  eccentric  in  our  little  professional  circle, 
because  he  did  not  walk  in  the  same  conventional 
grooves  as  other  men :  it  was  only  wlien  we  came  to 
know  him  with  the  intimacy  of  hourly  converse  that 


gg       LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

we  found  that  much  that  passed  under  the  name  of 
eccentricity  was  the  result  of  the  deepest  underlying 
principle,  and  compelled  a  respect  Avhich  we   dared 
not    withhold.     After  he   became  an   inmate  of   our 
household,  we  were  not  long  in  discovering  that  the 
more  rigidly  and  narrowly  his  springs  of  action  were 
scrutinized,  the  higher  rose  our  respect  and  reverence. 
What  may  have  provoked  a  smile  when  the  motive 
or  principle  that  lay  behind  the  act  was  entirely  mis- 
apprehended came  to  be  regarded  with  a  certain  ad- 
mirinsT  wonder  when  the  motive  of  the  act  was  made 
clear.     We  sometimes  used  to  charge  him  with  losing 
sight  of  the  perspective  of  things.     Not  drawing  the 
distinction  that  men  generally  do  between  small  and 
great,  he  laid  as  much  stress  upon  truth  in  the  most 
insignificant  words  or  actions  of  his  daily  life  as  in 
the  most   solemn  and  important.      He  weighed  his 
lio-htest  utterances  in  '  the  balances  of  the  sanctuarv.' 
When  it  would  be  playfully  represented  to  him  that 
this  needless  precision  interfered  with  the  graces  of 
conversation,  and  tended  to  give  angularity  and  stiff- 
ness to  his  style,  his  reply  would  be  that  he  was  per- 
fectly aware  of  the  inelegance  it  involved,  but  he  chose 
to  sacrifice  all  minor  charms  to  the  paramount  one  of 
absolute  truth." 

His  crystalline  truthfulness  was  equally  noticeable 
in  admitting  that  he  did  not  knoiv  facts  or  things, 
when  really  there  was  no  appeal  made  to  his  knowl- 
edge except  the  common  "  you  know,"  with  which  so 
many  interlard  their  conversation.  "Nothing,"  he 
said,  "  Avould  induce  him  to  make  the  impression  that 
he  knew  what  he  did  not." 


EXTREME  CONSCIENTIOUSNESS.  QQ 

So  in  convei'sation,  if  he  unintentionally  made  a 
misstatement  about  a  matter  of  no  moment  whatever, 
as  soon  as  he  discovered  his  mistake,  he  would  lose 
no  time  in  hastening  to  correct  it,  even  if  he  had  to 
go  upon  the  mission  in  a  pouring  rain.  Upon  being 
asked,  "  Why,  in  the  name  of  reason,  do  you  walk  a 
mile  in  the  rain  for  a  perfectly  unimportant  thing?" 
his  reply  was,  "  Simply  because  I  have  discovered 
that  it  was  a  misstatement,  and  I  could  not  sleep  com- 
fortably to-night  unless  I  corrected  it." 

His  ideas  of  honesty  were  just  as  rigid.  An  in- 
stance soon  after  our  marriage  will  show  this.  One 
autumn  afternoon  we  were  taking  a  stroll,  and  passing 
a  large  apple  orchard  where  the  ripe  fruit  had  fallen 
plentifully  upon  the  ground,  I  asked  him  to  step  over 
the  fence  and  treat  ourselves  to  some  of  the  tempting 
apples.  My  rebuke  can  be  imagined  when  in  the  kind- 
est  manner  he  answered:  "No,  I  do  not  think  it 
would  be  right  to  do  that.     I  am  sure  that  Colonel 

R would  have  no  objection,  and   would  gladly 

give  them  to  us  if  he  were  here,  but  I  cannot  take 
them  without  his  leave." 

No  man  carried  his  conscientiousness  to  a  greater 
extreme,  and  many  may  say  that  he  did  it  to  an  un- 
necessary and  even  morbid  degree  ;  but  his  humility 
was  as  pre-eminent  as  his  conscientiousness,  and  al- 
though he  laid  down  these  stringent  rules  for  his  own 
governance,  he  did  not  set  himself  up  as  a  guide  or 
model  for  others,  and  never  forced  his  convictions 
upon  any  one.  He  never  even  inadvertently  fell  into 
the  use  of  the  expressions  so  common  upon  our  lips 
that  he  "  wished  that  any  event  or  circumstance  were 
different  from  what  it  was."     To  do  so  would,  in  his 


70  Llt'E   OF   GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

opinion,  have  been  to  arraign  Providence.  He  was 
utterly  free  from  censoriousness,  envy,  detraction,  and 
all  uncharitableness,  and  certainly  kept  his  rule  that 
if  he  could  say  nothing  good  of  a  man,  he  would  not 
speak  of  hira  at  all. 

But  if  he  once  lost  confidence,  or  discovered  decep- 
tion and  fraud  on  the  })art  of  one  whom  he  had  trust- 
ed, his  faith  was  not  easily  restored,  and  he  with- 
drew himself  as  much  as  possible  from  any  further 
dealings  with  him.  However,  he  religiously  kept  the 
door  of  his  lips,  not  permitting  a  word  of  censure  or 
denunciation  to  pass  them  ;  and  even  when  convinced 
that  a  man  was  a  hypocrite,  his  severest   sentence 

against  him   was  that  he  believed  him  to  be  a  "  de- 
cs 

ceived  man,"  who  was  so  blinded  that  he  could  not 
see  the  error  of  his  ways. 

..."  Only  in  the  innermost  circle  of  home  did 
any  one  come  to  know  what  Jackson  really  was. 
.  .  .  His  natural  temperament  was  extremely  buoy- 
ant, and  his  abandon  was  beautiful  to  see,  provided 
there  were  only  one  or  two  people  to  see  it." 

As  may  be  supposed,  punctuality  was  regarded  by 
him  as  a  virtue :  "  No  one  could  ever  charge  him 
with  loss  of  time  through  dilatoriness  on  his  part. 
He  never  failed  to  fill  an  engagement ;  or,  if  it  was  im- 
possible for  him  to  do  so,  he  would  take  any  amount 
of  trouble  to  give  notice  beforehand  of  his  inabihty 
to  keep  it.  .  .  .  Once  only  do  I  remember  that  he 
was  late  in  getting  to  prayer  -  meeting,  for  he  was 
as  punctual  as  a  clock  in  being  in  his  seat  before  the 
opening  of  the  services  of  the  church.  On  this  oc- 
casion, when  he  found  that  the  worship  had  com- 
menced (although  we  were  only  a  few  minutes  be- 


"I    HAVE   NO   GENIUS   FOR   SHEMI.NG."  ^^ 

hind  time),  he  declined  to  enter,  saving  we  had  no 
right  to  disturb  the  devotions  of  others  by  going  in 
during  the  service,  and  so  we  returned  home. 

"  His  personal  habits  were  systematic  in  the  ex- 
treme, lie  studied  his  physical  nature  with  a  ])hvsi. 
ciaii's  scrutiny;  and  having  once  adopted  a  regimen 
which  he  believed  perfectly  suited  to  himself,  nothing 
would  ever  tempt  him  to  swerve  in  the  slightest  de- 
gree from  it.  He  ate,  as  he  did  everything  else,  from 
a  sense  of  duty."  He  had  suffered  much  from  dys- 
pepsia, and  for  that  reason  had  to  practise  absolute 
control  over  his  appetite,  and  nothing  coukl  tempt 
him  to  partake  of  food  between  his  regular  hours. 
'•  When  sometimes  at  parties  and  receptions  a  friend 
would  entreat  him,  for  courtesy's  sake  and  the  gratifi- 
cation of  his  hostess,  to  seem  to  accept  some  delicacy, 
or  at  least  venture  upon  a  grape  or  an  orange,  he 
would  always  reply  :     "  No,  no ;  I  have  no  genius  for 

In  all  the  means  that  he  sought  for  relief  in  sub- 
duing his  arch-enemy,  dyspepsia,  he  found  none  that 
proved  so  beneficial  as  the  hydropathic  treatment. 
He  became  a  strong  believer  in  the  system,  and  dur- 
ing his  summer  vacation  he  visited  several  hydro- 
pathic establishments  in  New  York  and  New  Eng- 
land, and  invariably  gained  strength  from  the  baths 
and  the  exercise.  One  summer  his  chest  broadened 
several  inches  by  his  performances  in  the  gymnasium, 
and  on  his  return  home  he  found  his  double-breasted 
coat  (a  major's  uniform)  incapable  of  accommodating 
his  increased  dimensions,  so  he  had  to  have  a  new 
one  made.  He  always  wore  citizen's  dress  when  off 
dutv. 


72  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS   J.  JACKSON. 

When  he  had  a  home  of  his  own,  he  provided  liimself 
with  some  of  his  favorite  apphances  for  gymnastic 
exercises,  and  greatly  invigorated  himself  b}'^  their  use. 

He  abstained  from  the  use  of  all  intoxicating  drinks 
from  principle,  having  a  fondness  for  them,  as  he  him- 
self confessed,  and  for  that  reason  never  daring  to  in- 
dulge his  taste.  During  the  war,  when  asked  by  a 
brother  officer  to  join  him  in  a  social  glass,  he  replied  : 
''  Xo,  I  thank  you,  but  I  never  use  it ;  I  am  more  afraid 
of  it  than  of  Federal  bullets."  Xor  did  he  use  tobacco 
in  any  form,  and  for  many  years  not  even  tea  and 
coffee,  believing  that  they  were  injurious  to  his  health. 

When  persons  about  him  complained  of  headaches 
or  other  consequences  of  imprudence,  he  would  say : 
"  If  you  follow  my  rule,  which  is  to  govern  yourself 
absolutely,  I  do  not  think  you  would  have  these 
sufferings.  My  head  never  aches  :  if  anything  dis- 
agrees with  me,  I  never  eat  it." 

As  an  instance  of  the  alacrity  with  whicli,  if  once 
convinced  that  a  thing  was  right  to  do,  he  did  it,  on 
one  occasion,  when  he  had  been  talking  of  self-abne- 
gation and  making  rather  light  of  it,  a  friend  sug- 
gested that  he  had  not  been  called  upon  to  endure  it, 
and  supposed  a  case :  "  Imagine  that  the  providence 
of  God  seemed  to  direct  you  to  drop  every  scheme  of 
life  and  of  personal  advancement,  and  go  on  a  mission 
to  the  heart  of  Africa  for  the  rest  of  your  days, 
would  you  go';;"  Ilis  eyes  flashed  as  he  instantly  re- 
plied :   "  I  would  go  loiihoid  my  hat  /" 

This  same  friend  once  asked  him  what  was  his  un- 
derstanding of  the  Bible  command  to  be  "  instant  in 
prayer  "  and  to  "  pray  witliout  ceasing."  "  I  can  give 
you,"  he  said,  "  my  idea  of  it  by  illustration,  if  you 


FRAYER   WITHOUT   CEASIXG.  '^3 

will  allow  it,  and  will  not  think  that  I  am  setting- 
myself  up  as  a  nuxlel  for  others.  I  have  so  fixed  the 
habit  in  my  own  mind  that  I  never  raise  a  glass  of 
water  to  my  lips  without  lifting  my  heart  to  God  in 
thanks  and  prayer  for  the  water  of  life.  Then,  when 
we  take  our  meals,  there  is  the  grace.  AV^henever  I 
drop  a  letter  in  the  post-office,  I  send  a  petition  along 
with  it  for  God's  blessing  upon  its  mission  and  the 
person  to  whom  it  is  sent.  Wlien  I  break  the  seal  of 
a  letter  just  received,  I  stop  to  ask  God  to  prepare  me 
for  its  contents,  and  make  it  a  messenger  of  good. 
When  I  go  to  my  class-room  and  await  the  arrange- 
ment of  the  cadets  in  their  places,  that  is  my  time  to 
intercede  with  God  for  them.  And  so  in  every  act  of 
the  day  I  have  made  the  practice  habitual." 

"  And  don't  you  sometimes  forget  to  do  this  ?" 
asked  his  friend. 

"  I  can  hardly  say  that  I  do ;  the  habit  has  become 
almost  as  fixed  as  to  breathe." 

His  submission  to  his  Heavenly  Father's  will  was 
so  perfect,  and  the  assurance  that  "  all  things  work 
together  for  good  to  them  that  love  God  "  was  to  him 
such  a  blessed  reality,  that  he  always  said  he  j)re- 
f erred  God's  will  to  his  own ;  and  his  perfect  assur- 
ance of  faith  never  forsook  him,  however  severelv  it 
might  be  tried.  "  He  used  to  express  surprise  at  tiie 
want  of  equanimity  on  the  part  of  Christians  under 
the  pressure  of  untoward  circumstances;  and  i-emarked 
that  he  did  not  think  any  combination  of  earthly  ills 
could  make  him  positively  unhappy  if  he  believed  he 
was  suffering  the  will  of  God."  Thinking  this  a  bold 
assertion,  a  friend  ventured  to  touch  him  in  a  vulner- 
able pomt,  knowing  that  his  health  was  a  source  of 


74       LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

anxious  care,  and  asked  him :  '*  Major,  suppose  you 
should  lose  your  health  irreparably ;  do  you  think  you 
could  be  happy  still  r  He  answered  :  "  Yes,  I  should 
be  happy  still."  "  AYell,  suppose,  in  addition  to  life- 
long illness,  you  should  become  suddenly  blind;  do 
you  believe  your  serenity  would  remain  unclouded  ?" 
Pie  paused  a  moment,  as  if  to  weigh  fully  every  word 
he  uttered,  and  then  said  :  "  I  am  sure  of  it ;  even  such 
a  misfortune  could  not  make  me  doubt  the  love  of 
God."  Still  further  to  test  him,  and  knowing  his 
impatience  of  anything  that  even  bordered  on  de- 
pendence, it  was  urged :  '•  But  if,  in  addition  to  blind- 
ness and  incurable  infirmity  and  pain,  you  had  to  re- 
ceive grudging  charity  from  those  on  whom  you  had 
no  claim — what  then?"  There  was  a  strange  rever- 
ence in  his  lifted  eye,  and  an  exalted  expression  over 
his  whole  face,  as  he  replied,  with  slow  deliberateness  : 
"  If  it  Avere  God's  will,  I  think  1  could  lie  there  crmteut 
a  hundred  years  /" 

General  Jackson's  extreme  rigor  in  the  observance 
of  the  Sabbath  has  been  much  commented  on,  and  he 
has  been  called  a  religious  fanatic.  Certainly  he 
was  not  less  scrupulous  in  obeying  the  divine  com- 
mand to  "  remember  the  Sabbath  day  to  keep  it  holy  " 
than  he  was  in  any  other  rule  of  his  life.  Since  the 
Creator  had  set  apart  this  day  for  his  own,  and 
commanded  it  to  be  kept  holy,  he  believed  tliat  it 
was  as  wrong  for  him  to  desecrate  it  by  worldly  pleas- 
ure, idleness,  or  secular  employment,  as  to  break  any 
other  commandment  of  the  decalogue.  Sunday  was 
his  busiest  day  of  the  week,  as  he  always  attend- 
ed church  twice  a  day  and  taught  in  two  Sabbatii 
schools !     He  refrained  as  much  as  possible  from  all 


STRICT   OBSERVANCE   OF  THE  SABBATH.  75 

worldly  conversation,  and  in  his  family,  if  secular 
topics  were  introduced,  he  would  say,  with  a  kindly 
suiile,  "AVe  will  talk  about  that  to-morrow/' 

lie  never  travelled  on  Sunday,  never  took  his  mail 
from  the  post-otfice,  nor  pci'inltUd  a  letter  of  his  own 
to  travel  on  that  dai/,  always  before  posting  it  calcu- 
lating the  time  it  required  to  reach  its  destination  ; 
and  even  business  letters  of  the  utmost  importance 
were  never  sent  off  the  very  last  of  the  week,  but  were 
kept  over  until  Monday  morning,  unless  it  was  a  case 
where  distance  required  a  longer  time  than  a  week. 

One  so  strict  in  his  own  Sabbath  observance  natu- 
rally believed  that  it  was  wrong  for  the  government 
to  carry  the  mails  on  Sunday.  Any  organization  w li id  1 
exacted  secular  labor  of  its  employees  on  the  Lord's 
day  was,  in  his  opinion,  a  violator  of  God's  law.  ,1  ust 
before  his  last  battle  he  wrote  the  following  letter, 
touching  upon  this  matter,  to  his  friend  Colonel  J. 
T.  L.  Preston  : 

"  Near  Fredericksburg,  Va.,  April  27th,  18G3. 
"  Dear  Colonel, — I  am  much  gratified  to  see  that 
you  are  one  of  the  delegates  to  the  General  Assembly 
of  our  Church,  and  I  write  to  express  the  hope  that 
something  may  be  accomplished  by  you  at  the  meet- 
ing of  that  influential  body  towards  repealing  the  law 
requiring  our  mails  to  be  carried  on  the  Christian  Sab- 
bath. Recently  I  received  a  letter  from  a  member  of 
Congress  (the  Confederate  Congress  at  Richmond) 
expressing  the  hope  that  the  House  of  Representa- 
tives would  act  upon  the  subject  during  its  present 
session;  and  from  the  mention  made  of  Colonel  Chil- 
ton and  Mr.  Curry  of  Alabama,  I  infer  that  they  are 


76  Ln<"E   OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

members  of  the  committee  which  recommends  the 
repeal  of  the  law,  A  few  days  since  I  received  a 
ver}"  gratifj'ing  letter  from  Mr.  Cuny,  which  was  vol- 
untary on  his  part,  as  I  was  a  stranger  to  him,  and 
there  had  been  no  previous  correspondence  between 
us.  His  letter  is  of  a  cheering  character,  and  he  takes 
occasion  to  say  that  divine  laws  can  be  violated  with 
impunity  neitlier  by  governments  nor  individuals.  I 
regret  to  say  that  he  is  fearful  that  the  anxiety  of  mem- 
bers to  return  home,  and  the  press  of  other  business, 
will  prevent  the  desired  action  this  session.  I  have 
said  thus  much  in  order  that  you  may  see  that  Con- 
gressional action  is  to  be  looked  for  at  the  next  meet- 
ing of  Congress ;  hence  the  importance  that  Chris- 
tians act  promptly,  so  that  our  legislators  may  see  the 
current  opinion  before  they  take  up  the  subject.  I 
hope  and  pray  that  such  may  be  our  country's  senti- 
ment upon  this  and  kindred  subjects  that  our  states- 
men will  see  their  way  clearly.  Now  appears  to  me 
an  auspicious  time  for  action,  as  our  people  are  look- 
ing to  God  for  assistance.     Very  truly  your  friend, 

"T.  J.  Jackson." 

In  another  letter  to  his  pastor  he  says :  "  It  is  de- 
lightful to  see  the  Congressional  Committee  report  so 
strongly  against  Sabbath  mails.  I  trust  that  you  will 
write  to  every  member  of  Congress  with  Avhom  you 
have  any  influence,  and  do  all  you  can  to  pi'ocure  the 
adoption  of  the  report.  And  ])lease  request  those  with 
whom  you  correspond  (when  expedient)  to  do  the  same. 
I  believe  that  God  will  bless  us  with  success  if  Chris- 
tians will  but  do  their  duty.  For  nearly  fifteen  years 
Sabbath   mails   have    been,  through   God's   blessing, 


HE  WOULD  NOT  BREAK  THE  SEAL.        77 

avoided  by  me,  and  I  am  tliankful  to  say  that  in  no 
instance  has  there  been  occasion  for  regret,  but,  on  the 
contrary,  God  has  made  it  a  source  of  pure  enjoyment 
to  me." 

For  a  long  time  he  kept  his  resohition  not  to  use 
his  eyes  by  artificial  light ;  and  it  was  his  custom  never 
to  break  the  seal  of  a  letter  which  came  to  him  late 
on  Saturday  night  until  the  dawn  of  Monday  morn- 
ing. When  he  became  engaged,  and  \\\?,  Jiancee  lived  in 
another  State,  it  was  a  subject  of  amusing  speculation 
among  his  friends  whether  he  would  break  this  rule. 
But  it  was  found  that  even  to  the  excuse  ''  The  wom- 
an tempted  me  "  he  did  not  yield.  A  friend  in  walk- 
ing to  church  with  him  one  Sunday  morning,  know- 
ing he  had  received  a  letter  the  evening  before,  said 
to  him :  "  Major,  surely  you  have  read  your  letter  ^" 
"  Assuredly  not,''  said  he.  "  Where  is  it  f  asked  his 
friend.  "Here,"  tapping  his  coat -pocket.  "AVhat 
obstinacy  !''  exclaimed  his  companion.  "  Don't  you 
know  that  your  curiosity  to  learn  its  contents  will  dis- 
tract your  attention  from  divine  worship  far  more  than 
if  you  had  read  it  ?  Surely,  in  this  case,  to  depart 
from  your  rule  would  promote  a  true  Sabbath  observ- 
ance, instead  of  injuring  it."  "  No,"  he  answered,  qui- 
etly, "  I  shall  make  the  most  faithful  effort  I  can  to 
govern  my  thoughts  and  guard  them  fi'om  unnecessary 
distraction ;  and  as  I  do  this  from  a  sense  of  duty,  I 
expect  the  divine  blessing  upon  it."  He  said  after- 
wards that  his  tranquillity  and  spiritual  enjoyment 
were  unusually  great  during  the  day. 

In  the  autumn  of  1855,  he  organized  his  Sabbath- 
school  for  the  instruction  of  the  colored  people  of  Lex- 
ington.    His  interest  in  that  race  was  simply  because 


78       Lli''i^  OF   GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

they  had  souls  to  save ;  and  he  continued  to  instruct 
them  with  great  faithfulness  and  success  up  to  the 
breaking-out  of  the  war.  In  this  missionary  work  he 
AA^as  assisted  by  a  number  of  ladies  and  gentlemen. 
This  school  was  held  in  the  afternoon  of  the  Sabbath  ; 
its  sessions  were  short  and  sjjirited,  and  he  soon  in- 
fused interest  and  punctuality  into  both  teachers  and 
pupils.  Upon  my  removal  to  Lexington  I  proposed 
taking  a  class  in  the  Sunday-school  for  white  chil- 
dren, but  he  preferred  that  my  labors  should  be  given 
to  the  colored  children,  beheving  it  was  more  impor- 
tant and  useful  to  put  the  strong  hand  of  the  Gospel 
under  the  ignorant  African  race,  to  lift  them  up.  I 
have  always  felt  thankful  that  his  wishes  guided  me 
in  this  matter,  for  it  was  a  privilege  to  witness  his 
great  interest  and  zeal  in  the  work,  and  never  did  his 
face  beam  with  more  intelligence  and  earnestness  than 
when  he  was  telling  the  colored  children  of  his  Sab- 
bath-school the  story  of  the  cross. 

When  in  the  army  he  inquired  of  every  visitor  from 
the  church  to  his  camp  how  his  colored  Sunday-school 
was  getting  on,  and  expressed  great  satisfaction  at 
hearing  of  its  prosperity.  This  school  is  still  in  suc- 
cessful operation. 

The  liev.  Dr.  White  said  he  was  once  both  gratified 
and  amused  when  Major  Jackson  came  to  him  to  re- 
port the  result  of  a  collection  which  he  had  made  in 
the  congregation  for  the  Bible  Society.  At  the  foot 
of  tlu;  long  list  of  the  church-members  and  other  citi- 
zens Avere  a  number  of  additional  names  in  pencil- 
marks  with  small  sums  attached  to  them.  IT])on  in- 
quiring who  they  were,  the  major  explained  :  ''  These 
at  the  top  are  your  regulars,  and  those  below  are  my 


A   BELOVED   CHRISTIAN   FRIEND.  79 

militia."  In  his  round  of  visiting',  be  had  called  upon 
some  of  his  colored  friends,  and  encouraged  them  to 
give,  even  if  it  were  but  a  mite,  to  this  good  cause,  ar- 
guing that  their  money  was  more  profitably  spent  in 
this  way  than  in  tobacco  and  whiskey,  and  that  it 
would  elevate  them,  and  increase  their  interest  in  the 
study  of  the  Bible.  This  activity  for  the  good  of  oth- 
ers brought  its  own  reward.  This  man,  so  busy  in 
good  works,  his  pastor  said,  "  was  the  happiest  man 
he  ever  knew."  His  faith  and  trust  were  so  implicit 
that  his  own  will  was  in  perfect  subjection  to  that  of 
his  Heavenly  Father,  and  no*  suffering  or  trial  could 
make  him  wish  it  had  been  otherwise. 

The  story  of  Major  Jackson's  life  in  Lexington  would 
be  lacking  in  one  important  link  of  the  chain  without 
the  mention  of  his  dear  and  honored  Christian  friend, 
Mr.  John  B.  Lyle,  to  whom  he  was  more  indebted  for 
spiritual  profit  than  to  any  one  else  except  his  pastor. 
This  gentleman  was  an  elder  of  the  church,  a  bachelor, 
past  middle-age,  and  not  prosperous,  as  the  world  goes, 
but  he  was  one  of  those  whole-souled,  large-hearted 
Christians  whose  lives  are  full  of  love  and  sunshine. 
His  genial  face  and  ready  sympathy  made  him  a  great 
favorite  with  young  and  old,  and  he  was  known  as  the 
comforter  of  the  afflicted,  the  restorer  of  the  wayward, 
and  the  counsellor  of  the  doubting.  Indeed,  his  heart 
was  big  enough  to  take  in  all  who  sought  a  place  there. 
The  young  ladies  made  a  special  pet  of  him,  and  he 
was  generally  the  confidant  and  adviser  of  his  numer- 
ous friends,  both  in  temporal  and  spiritual  matters. 
He  was  fond  of  music,  and  led  the  church  choir.  The 
church  at  that  time  had  no  organ,  but  his  magnificent 
voice  was  almost  equal  to  an  organ  itself.     Major  Jack- 


80       LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

son  rarely  passed  a  day  without  a  visit  to  Mr.  Lyle's 
sanctum,  and  thus,  coming  under  the  constant  influ- 
ence of  one  whose  inner  Christian  hfe  was  as  elevated 
as  his  outward  was  active,  his  own  religious  character 
became  moulded  into  that  exalted  type  for  which  he 
was  so  conspicuous.  It  was  largely  due  to  Mr.  Lyle's 
guidance  in  religious  reading,  his  own  bright  example 
and  instructions,  that  Major  Jackson  attained  that 
perfect  assurance  of  faith  which  shed  such  sunshine 
over  his  latter  years.  He  also  taught  him  to  cherish 
a  high  sense  of  the  value  of  prayer,  and  to  expect  an 
answer  to  it.  In  taking  a  journey,  he  never  parted 
from  his  wife  without  engaging  in  prayer ;  before  go^ 
ino"  to  his  Sabbath-schools  he  alwavs  knelt  in  prayer, 
and  so,  in  every  act  of  life,  "prayer  Avas  his  vital 
breath." 

The  first  visit  that  my  husband  took  me  to  pay  af- 
ter my  arrival  at  my  new  home  was  to  his  friend,  Mr. 
Lyle,  and  his  smiling  and  hearty  "  welcome  to  Lexing- 
ton" went  directly  to  the  heart  of  the  stranger.  He 
Avas  then  a  partial  paralytic,  and  it  was  not  many 
months  until  a  final  stroke  removed  him  to  a  better 
world.  As  an  evidence  of  the  strong  hold  he  had  on 
the  hearts  of  all  who  knew  him,  one  who  was  not  con- 
nected Avith  him  by  any  tie  of  blood  had  him  buried 
in  his  own  family  lot  in  the  cemetery,  and  marked  the 
spot  by  a  monument  bearing  this  inscription:  "He 
was  the  truest  friend,  the  bravest  man,  and  the  best 
Christian  ever  known  to  him  who  erects  this  stone  to 
his  memory." 

The  name  of  Dr.  White,  the  good  pastor,  and  his 
faithful  under -shepherd,  John  B.  Lyle,  will  long  be 
fragrant  memories  in  Lexington. 


CHAPTER  YI. 

THE   PROFESSOR.— TRIP   TO   EUROPE— 1851-1856. 

Major  Jackson  liatl  never  been  a  teacher  before  he 
became  a  professor  in  the  Virginia  Military  Institute, 
and  when  asked  by  a  friend  whether  he  did  not  feel  dis- 
trustful of  himself  in  undertaking  so  untried  and  ar- 
duous a  course  of  instruction,  he  replied :  "  No ;  I 
expect  to  be  able  to  study  sufficiently  in  advance  of 
my  classes ;  for  one  can  always  do  what  he  tvilh  to  ac- 
complish.'''' 

In  this  spirit  he  entered  on  his  duties  as  a  teacher,  and 
discharged  them  with  the  same  painstaking  fidelity 
that  he  did  everything  else  he  undertook  in  life.  His 
extreme  conscientiousness  constrained  him  to  carry 
out  to  the  very  letter  all  the  regulations  of  the  school, 
and  when  he  came  into  conflict  either  with  superiors 
or  inferiors,  it  was  because  they  were  disposed  to  prac- 
tise more  policy  and  expediency  than  tlie  rules  })re- 
scribed.  But  we  will  let  some  of  his  colleairues  in  of- 
fice,  and  his  friends  in  Lexington  and  elsewhere,  give 
their  testimony  to  his  character  as  a  teacher  and  an 
officer.  The  superintendent  of  the  Institute,  General 
Francis  II.  Smith,  says :  "  The  professorial  career  of 
Major  Jackson  was  marked  by  great  faithfulness,  and 
by  an  unobtrusive  yet  earnest  spirit.  With  high  men- 
tal endowments,  teaching  was  a  new  profession  to  him, 
6 


82  Llt'E   OF   GENERAL   THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

and  demanded,  in  the  important  department  assigned 
him,  an  amount  of  labor  which,  from  the  state  of  his 
heahh,  and  especially  from  the  weakness  of  his  eyes, 
he  performed  at  great  sacrifice.  Conscientious  fidehty 
to  duty  marked  every  step  of  his  life  here,  and  when 
called  to  active  duty  in  the  lieUi  he  had  made  consider- 
able progress  in  the  preparation  of  an  elementary  work 
on  optics,  which  he  proposed  to  publish  for  the  benefit 
of  his  classes.  Strict,  and  at  times  stern,  in  his  disci- 
pline (though  ever  polite  and  kind),  he  was  not  always 
a  popular  professor ;  but  no  one  ever  ])ossessed  in  a 
higher  degree  the  confidence  and  respect  of  the  cadets, 
for  his  unbending  integrity  and  fearlessness  in  the  dis- 
charge of  duty.  If  he  were  exact  in  his  demands  upon 
them,  they  knew  he  was  no  less  so  in  his  own  respect 
for  and  submission  to  authority.  His  great  principle 
of  government  was  that  a  general  rule  should  not  be 
violated  for  any  particular  good ;  and  his  animating 
rule  of  action  was,  that  a  man  could  accomplish  what 
he  willed  to  perform.  For  ten  years  he  prosecuted  his 
unwearied  labors  as  a  professor,  making  during  that 
period,  in  no  questionable  form,  such  an  imjyress  upon 
those  who,  from  time  to  time,  were  under  his  command, 
that  when  the  war  broke  out  the  spontaneous  senti- 
ment of  every  cadet  and  graduate  was  to  serve  under 
him  as  their  leader. 

'•  The  habit  of  mind  of  Major  Jackson,  long  before  he 
made  a  public  profession  of  religion,  was  reverential. 
Devoutly  recognizing  the  authority  of  God,  submis- 
sion to  llim  as  his  Divine  Teaclier  and  Guide  soon 
matured  into  a  confession  of  faith  in  him,  and  IVoni 
that  moment  the  'triple  cord' — 'not  slothful  in  busi- 
ness, fervent  in  spirit,  serving  the  Lord' — bound  him 


THK   DEATH   OF   UIS   FIRST   WIFE.  83 

in  simple  and  trustful  obedience  to  his  Divine  Mas- 
ter." 

In  the  third  year  of  Major  Jackson's  professorship 
in  the  Military  Institute  a  vacancy  occurred  in  the 
Chair  of  Mathematics  at  the  University  of  Virginia 
by  the  death  of  Professor  Courtenay,  and  he  was  high- 
ly recommended  by  General  Lee  and  others  for  the 
position,  but,  as  was  quite  natural,  the  directors  pre- 
ferred an  alumnus  of  the  University,  and  so  elected 
Professor  Bledsoe,  an  older  and  more  experienced 
teacher.  In  the  end  it  proved  better  that  Major  Jack- 
son remained  at  Lexington. 

Major  Jackson  was  twice  married — the  first  tiine  in 
1853,  August  4th,  to  Elinor,  daughter  of  the  Eev.  Dr. 
George  Junkin,  President  of  Washington  College, 
who  is  remembered  by  all  who  knew  her  as  a  person 
of  singular  loveliness  of  character;  as  possessed  of 
great  natural  intelligence,  which  was  dev'^eloped  in  a 
family  of  high  cultivation ;  while  her  native  modesty 
and  conscientiousness  ripened,  under  parental  culture, 
into  a  beautiful  type  of  Christian  womanhood.  Thus 
she  had  every  qualification  to  make  a  happy  home. 
But  this  happiness  was  not  to  be  of  long  duration. 
About  fourteen  months  after  the  marriage,  in  giving 
birth  to  a  child,  that  never  breathed,  the  mother  died 
also,  so  that  all  that  was  dearest  to  him  on  earth  was 
laid  in  the  grave.  This  was  a  terrible  blow,  for  he  was 
a  devoted  husband ;  and  his  early  life  having  been  so 
isolated  from  home  influences,  family  ties  were  more 
to  him  than  to  most  persons.  But  his  resignation  to 
God's  wiU  was  unshaken,  and  his  Christian  character 
became  more  mellowed  and  consecrated  by  this  sad 
bereavement. 


84  LIFE   OF   GENERAL   THOMAS  J.  JACKSON'. 

A  few  extracts  from  his  letters  to  his  aunt,  Mrs. 
Neale,  will  show  the  spirit  in  which  he  bore  his  afflic- 
tion: 

'^  February  16th,  1855. 

"  Your  kind  letter,  so  full  of  sympathy  and  love, 
made  a  deep  impression  on  my  stricken  heart.  I  can 
hardly  realize  yet  that  my  dear  EUie  is  no  more — tliat 
she  wnll  never  again  welcome  my  return — no  more 
soothe  my  troubled  spirit  by  her  ever  kind,  sympa- 
thizing heart,  words,  and  love.  .  .  .  She  has  left  me 
such  monuments  of  her  love  to  God,  and  deep  depend- 
ence upon  her  Saviour's  merits,  that  were  I  not  to  be- 
lieve in  her  happiness,  neither  would  I  believe  though 
one  were  to  rise  from  the  dead  and  declare  it.  God's 
promises  change  not.  She  \vas  a  child  of  God,  and 
as  such  she  is  enjoying  Him  forever.  ...  I  have 
suffered  so  much  with  my  eyes  lately  that  I  have  had 
great  fears  that  I  might  lose  them  entirely,  but  all 
thing's  are  in  the  hands  of  a  merciful  Father,  and 
to  His  will  I  hope  ever  cheerfully  to  submit.  .  .  . 
My  dear  EUie,  when  living,  spoke  of  the  beauty  of 
your  letters.  I  feel  that  had  she  lived  she  would 
have  been  in  correspondence  with  you ;  but  now  that 
cannot  be  in  this  sinful  world,  though  it  may  be  that 
an  intimate  friendshi|)  will  exist  between  you  in  yon- 
der world  of  bliss  whither  she  has  gone.  If  slie  re- 
tains her  pure,  human  affections  there,  I  feel  that  she 
will  derive  pleasure  from  the  acquaintance  of  any  one 
who  in  this  world  loves  me,  or  whom  I  love.  And 
does  she  not  retain  love  there  ?  '  God  is  love.'  I 
believe  that  she  retains  every  pure,  human  attribute, 
and  in  a  higher  state  than  when  trammelled  with  flesh 
here.     Oh,  do  you  not  long  to  leave  the  flesh  and  go  to 


AT   HIS   WIFE'S   GRAVE.  85 

God,  and  mingle  with  the  just  made  perfect?  Of  all 
the  moments  of  life,  there  are  none  around  which  I 
cluster  so  much  that  is  joyful.  Yet  I  feel  that  I  do 
not  wish  to  go  before  it  is  the  will  of  God,  who  with- 
holds no  good  thing  from  them  that  love  Ilim.  I 
thank  my  Heavenly  Father  that  I  can  realize  that 
blessed  declaration.  I  frequently  go  to  the  dearest 
of  earth's  spots,  the  grave  of  her  who  was  so  pure 
and  lovely  — but  she  is  not  there.  When  I  stand 
over  the  grave,  I  do  not  fancy  that  she  is  thus  con- 
fined, but  I  think  of  her  as  having  a  glorified  ex- 
istence.'' 

For  a  long  time  he  visited  her  grave  daily,  and  al- 
ways stood  Over  it  with  uncovered  head,  absorbed  in 
tender  and  loving  memories.  In  one  of  his  note-books 
appears  the  following  entry,  showing  his  desire  to 
profit  by  his  great  sorrow  :  "  Objects  to  be  efi"ected 
by  Ellie's  death  :  To  eradicate  ambition  ;  to  eradicate 
resentment ;  to  produce  humility.  If  you  desire  to  be 
more  heavenly-minded,  think  more  of  the  things  of 
heaven,  and  less  of  the  things  of  earth." 

During  the  summer  and  fall  of  1856,  Major  Jack- 
son made  a  tour  through  Europe,  which  covered  a 
period  of  nearly  five  months.  To  a  friend  he  wi'ote  : 
"  I  was  so  urged  by  a  concurrence  of  favorable  cir- 
cumstances to  visit  Europe  as  to  induce  me  to  beheve 
that  the  time  had  arrived  for  carrying  out  mv  lono-. 
contemplated  trip,  with  which  I  was  much  charmed." 
He  then  goes  on  to  speak  in  the  most  rapturous  terms 
of  "  the  romantic  lakes  and  mountains  of  Scotland, 
the  imposing  abbeys  and  cathedrals  of  England ;  the 
Khine,  with  its  castellated  banks  and  luxuriant  vine 


86      l^It'K  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

yards  ;  the  sublime  scenery  of  Switzerland,  with  her 
lofty  Mont  Blanc  and  niaasive  Mer  -  de  -  Glace  ;  the 
vestiges  of  Venetian  beauty;  the  sculpture  and  paint- 
ings of  Italy;  the  I'uins  of  Rome;  the  beautiful  Bay 
of  Xaples,  illuminated  by  Vesuvius ;  and  lovely  France, 
with  her  gay  capital,''  etc.     Again  he  writes  : 

''  I  would  advise  you  never  to  name  ni}'  European 
trip  to  me  unless  you  are  blest  with  a  superabundance 
of  patience,  as  its  very  mention  is  calculated  to  bring 
up  with  it  an  almost  inexhaustible  assemblage  of 
grand  and  beautiful  associations.  Passing  over  the 
works  of  the  Creator,  which  are  far  the  most  impres- 
sive, it  is  difficult  to  conceive  of  the  influences  which 
even  the  works  of  His  creatures  exercise  over  the 
mind  till  one  loiters  amidst  their  master  productions. 
Well  do  I  remember  the  influence  of  sculpture  upon 
me  during  my  short  stay  in  Florence,  and  how  there 
I  beo-an  to  realize  the  sentiment  of  the  Florentine : 
'  Take  from  me  my  liberty,  take  from  me  what  you 
will,  but  leave  me  my  statuary,  leave  me  these  en- 
trancing productions  of  art.'  And  similar  to  this  is 
the  influence  of  painting." 

In  another  letter  he  is  enthusiastic  over  Powers's 
statue  of  II  Penseroso,  who  "  is  represented  as  walk- 
ing abroad  while  absorbed  in  thought,  with  the  finger 
of  one  hand  resting  upon  the  lip,  while  the  other  car- 
ries a  train." 

His  trip  gave  him  boundless  pleasure,  and,  although 
it  was  a  hurried  one,  he  managed  to  visit  a  great  num- 
ber of  places  in  the  space  of  four  months,  as  the  fol- 
lowing letter  to  his  aunt,  Mrs.  Neale,  will  show  : 


VISIT   TO  EUROPK.  87 

"Lexington,  Va.,  Oct.  27tli,  1856. 
"  It  is  with  much  pleasure  that  (tOcI  again  permits  me 
to  write  to  you  from  my  adopted  home.  Your  kind- 
ness and  that  of  uncle  has  not  been  forgotten;  but 
when  you  hear  where  I  have  been  during  my  short 
absence,  you  will  not  be  surprised  at  not  having  heard 
from  me,  as  my  time  was  too  short  to  see  well  all 
that  came  within  the  range  of  my  journey.  After 
leaving  Liverpool  1  passed  to  Chester  and  Eaton 
Uall,  and  from  there,  returning,  1  visited  Glasgow, 
Lochs  Lomond  and  Katrine,  Stirling  Castle,  Edin- 
burgh, York,  London,  Antwerp,  Brussels,  Waterloo, 
Aix  -  la  -  Chapelle,  Cologne,  Bonn,  Frankfort  -  on  -  the  - 
Main,  Heidelberg,  Baden-Baden,  Strasburg,  15asle, 
Lakes  Lucerne,  Brience,  and  Thun  ;  Berne,  Freiburg, 
Geneva,  the  Mer  de  Glace,  over  the  Ali)s  by  the  Sim- 
plon  Pass;  Milan,  Venice,  Florence,  Naples,  Bome, 
Marseilles,  Paris,  London,  and  Liverpool  again,  and 
then  home.  ...  It  appeared  to  me  that  Providence 
had  opened  the  way  for  my  long-contemplated  visit, 
and  I  am  much  gratified  at  having  gone." 

When  he  set  out  on  this  foreign  tour,  like  other  en- 
thusiastic travellers,  he  began  with  a  resolution  to 
keep  a  journal,  in  which  he  would  give  a  minute  de- 
scription of  all  that  he  saw  from  day  to  day  ;  but  when 
he  was  fairly  in  the  heart  of  Old  England,  he  found 
himself  so  absorbed  with  the  sights  and  scenes  that 
crowded  upon  his  attention  that  his  ^'Journal"  sub- 
sides into  mere  jottings  of  places  and  objects  which 
are  of  interest  chiefly  to  his  family.  During  these 
months  he  acquired  such  a  knowledge  of  French  that 
for  years  after  it  was  his  custom  to  read  his  Scripture 
morning  lesson  in  a  French  Testament. 


88      LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

In  crossing  the  ocean  he  gave  himself  ample  time 
to  reach  home  at  the  expiration  of  his  furlough,  but 
the  steamer  failed  to  make  the  trip  in  the  usual  num- 
ber of  days.  At  this  his  friends,  who  knew  him  to 
be  the  very  soul  of  punctuality,  expressed  their  won- 
der at  his  failure  to  "come  up  to  time."  Upon  his 
arrival,  as  soon  as  the  first  greetings  were  over,  and 
he  had  explained  the  cause  of  his  detention,  one  of 
them  exclaimed  :  "  But,  Major,  haven't  you  been  mis- 
erable since  the  beginning  of  the  month  ?  You  are 
so  particular  in  keeping  your  appointments  that  we 
imagined  you  were  beside  yourself  with  impatience." 
"Not  at  all,"  he  rephed;  "I  did  all  in  my  power  to 
be  here  at  the  appointed  time ;  but  when  the  steamer 
was  delayed  by  l^rovidence,  my  responsibility  was  at 
an  end."  The  great  object  of  his  journey  was  at- 
tained. Aside  from  the  pleasure  of  seeing  foreign 
countries,  his  health  was  perfectly  restored,  and  he 
was  ready  to  resume  his  work. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

SECOND    MARRIAGE.— HOME    LIFE.— 1857-1858. 

In  writing  these  memoirs,  it  has  been  my  aim,  up 
to  this  period,  to  keep  myself  in  the  background  as 
much  as  possible ;  but  in  what  follows,  my  own  life 
is  so  bound  up  with  that  of  my  husband  that  the 
reader  will  have  to  pardon  so  much  of  self  as  must 
necessarily  be  introduced  to  continue  the  story  of  his 
domestic  life  and  to  explain  the  letters  that  follow. 

I  trust  it  will  not  be  out  of  place  to  give  a  very  brief 
insight  into  my  early  life,  knowing  full  well  that  what- 
ever interest  is  awakened  in  me  is  only  a  reflected  one, 
arising  solely  from  the  fact  of  my  having  been  the 
wife  of  General  Jackson.  The  home  of  my  girlhood 
was  a  large,  old-fashioned  house,  surrounded  by  an 
extensive  grove  of  fine  forest  trees,  on  a  plantation  in 
Lincoln  County,  North  Carolina.  My  father,  the  Kev. 
Dr.  R.  H.  Morrison,  a  Presbyterian  minister,  had  in 
his  earlier  life  been  a  pastor  in  towns,  and  was  the  first 
president  of  Davidson  College,  in  North  Carolina;  but, 
his  health  having  failed,  he  sought  a  country  home  for 
rest  and  restoration,  and  reared  his  large  family  of  ten 
children  principally  in  this  secluded  spot,  where  he  was 
able  to  preach  to  a  group  of  country  churches.  He 
was  graduated  from  the  University  of  North  Carolina, 
in  the  year  1818,  in  a  class  with  President  Polk,  Bish- 
op Green,  of  Mississippi,  and  several  other  men  of  era- 


90  LIf'E   OF   GENERAL   THOMAS   J.  JACKSON. 

inence  in  church  and  state.  He  was  always  a  good 
student,  and  his  own  home  furnished  the  best  school 
for  his  children  until  the  girls  were  old  enough  to  be 
sent  off  to  boarding-school  and  the  boys  to  college.* 

*  The  names  of  these  cliildren  were  : 

1st.  Isabella,  who  married  General  D.  H.  Hill. 

2d.  William  Wilberforce  (of  tlie  Confederate  army),  who  died 
in  1865,  a  victim  of  the  war. 

3d.  Harriet,  married  Mr.  James  P.  Irwin,  of  Charlotte,  N.  C. 

4th.  Mary  Anna,  wife  of  General  Thomas  J.  Jackson. 

5th.  Eugenia,  married  General  Rufus  Barringer,  of  N.  C. 

6th.  Susan,  married  Judge  A.  C.  Avery,  of  N.  C. 

7th.  Laura,  married  Colonel  J.  E.  Brown,  of  Cliarlotte,  N.  C. 

8th.  Joseph  Graham,  married  Jennie  Davis,  of  Salisbury,  N.  C. 

9th.  Robert  Hall,  married  Lucy  Reid,  of  Iredell  County,  N.  C. 

10th.  Alfred  J.,  married  Portia  Lee  Atkinson,  daughter  of  Rev. 
Dr.  J.  M.  P.  Atkinson,  of  Hampden  Sidney  College,  Virginia. 

Alfred,  the  Benjamin  and  flower  of  the  flock,  followed  the  sacred 
calling  of  his  fatlier.  Gifted  in  mind  and  person  and  winning 
in  manner,  he  gave  promise  of  great  usefulness  in  the  church. 
He  was  settled  as  pastor  of  a  Presbyterian  church  in  Selma,  Ala- 
bama, where  his  labors  had  been  greatly  blessed,  but  at  the  end 
of  six  months  his  career  was  cut  short  by  typhoid  fever. 

My  honored  and  beloved  father  long  outlived  his  son,  having 
attained  the  age  of  ninety  years.  As  he  died  since  this  biography 
was  commenced.  I  cannot  refrain  from  quoting  a  brief  tribute  by 
my  pastor  to  his  memory  : 

"  Descended  from  a  sterling  Scotch-Irish  ancestry,  he  inherited 
those  qualities  of  mind  and  iieart  which,  hallowed  by  grace,  made 
liim  an  honor  to  tlic  age  and  a  blessing  to  the  world.  Called  by 
the  Saviour  in  the  morning  of  life,  he  obeyed  tlie  voice  of  the  gra- 
cious Slieplierd,  and  followed  Him  faithfully  to  its  close.  Four 
times  a  year  he  read  the  Bible  through  from  beginningtoeiiil.siu.lv- 
ing  all  the  commentaries  that  could  throw  light  upon  its  such  d 
pages.  Those,  with  daily  communion  with  God,  and  the  reading 
of  devotional  books,  were  the  sources  of  liis  truly  heavenly  pidy. 
Literary  tastes  were  sanctifled,  and  mind  and  heart  found  their 


DR.  MORRISON  AND  GENERAL  GRAHAM.       91 

In  those  f^ood  old  times  before  the  war  many  wealthy 
families  lived  upon  their  plantations,  and  the  neigh- 
borhood in  which  my  father  lived  was  noted  for  its 
excellent  society,  refinement,  and  hospitality.  My 
mother  was  Mary  Graham,*  daughter  of  General  Jo- 

highcstsatisfixction  and  enjoyment  in  the  green  pastures  of  divine 
tiutli  and  beside  the  still  waters  of  divine  consolation.  The  grand 
doctrines  of  grace  entered  into  and  moulded  his  Christian  experi- 
ence, and  made  him  humble  and  prayerful,  cheerful  and  strontr. 
decided  but  lil)eral,  active  and  zealous,  steadfast,  immovable,  and 
always  abounding  in  the  work  of  the  Lord.  In  his  latter  years 
all  of  his  income — after  providing  for  his  personal  wants^was  de- 
voted to  the  Gospel,  not  restricting  himself  to  his  own,  but  assist- 
ing other  denominations  of  Christians. 

"Davidson  College,  of  which  he  was  the  founder,  has  risen  to 
eminence  among  the  institutions  of  America.  Its  high  standard 
commands  the  respect  of  the  whole  country,  whilst  the  moral  in- 
fluences which  govern  and  surround  it  are  unsurpassed.  During 
the  fifty-two  years  of  its  existence,  it  has  given  to  the  church  two 
hundred  ministers  of  the  Gospel !  Who  is  at^le  to  compute  the 
sum  total  of  blessing  accruing  to  the  world  from  this  one  source 
alone?  Who  is  able  to  measure  its  influence  for  good  through 
all  coming  time?  And  who  is  able  to  estimate  the  indebted- 
ness of  society,  the  state,  and  the  church  to  its  noble  founder  ? 
Davidson  College  is  his  monument,  for  which  generations  yet  un- 
born will  rise  up  and  bless  the  name  of  Dr.  Robert  Hall  Morrison. 

"He  has  left  to  his  descendants  the  rich  legacy  of  an  honored 
name,  a  holy  life,  an  elevated  Christian  character,  and  many 
fervent  prayers  wliich  have  been,  and  are  yet  to  be,  answered  in 
blessings  on  their  heads— a  legacy  infinitely  more  precious  than 
all  the  diadems  and  treasures  of  earth." 

*The  name  of  Graham  recalls  that  of  my  mother's  father,  Gen- 
eral .loseph  Graham,  a  name  well  known  in  our  Revolutionary 
annals.  He  entered  the  army  at  nineteen  years  of  age.  At  the 
end  of  two  years  of  arduous  and  rcsponsil>le  service  he  was  strick- 
en down  bv  a  severe  and  lingering  illness,  but  returning  health 


92  LIFE   0?   GENERAL   THOMAS   J.  JACKSOK. 

seph  Graham,  and  sister  of  the  Hon.  William  A.  Gra- 
ham, who  was  successively  Governor  of  North  Caro- 
lina, United  States  Senator,  and  Secretary  of  the  Navy 
during:  President  Fillmore's  administration.  Having 
seen  a  good  deal  of  the  world  in  her  young  days,  my 
mother  w^as  anxious  to  give  her  daughters  the  same 
pleasure,  and  we  were  indulged  in  charming  trips 
whenever  it  was  practicable ;  but,  there  being  six 
daughters,  w^e  had  to  take  these  trips  by  turns.  My 
beautiful  younger  sister  Eugenia  and  I  left  school  at 
the  same  time,  came  out  as  young  ladies  together,  and 
never  were  two  sisters  happier  or  more  united  in  mut- 
ual affection  and  confidence.     We  were  simple  coun- 

found  him  again  in  the  field.  When  the  war  invaded  his  own 
section,  and  the  army  under  General  Greene  withdrew  towards 
Virginia,  to  him  was  assigned  the  command  of  those  troops  which 
sustained  the  rear-guard  under  General  Davies.  For  many  miles 
he  was  confronted  witli  Tarleton's  famous  cavalry,  said  to  be  the 
best  in  the  British  service.  The  obstinate  resistance  wiiich  lie  op- 
posed to  their  advance  had  nearly  closed  his  career.  After  many 
gallant  but  ineffectual  attempts  to  drive  them  I)ack,  he  fell,  liter- 
ally covered  wdth  wounds.  But  no  sooner  did  he  recover  than  he 
again  took  the  field.  The  service  which  now  fell  to  his  lot  was 
one  of  peculiar  privation,  suffering,  and  sacrifice.  Of  commissary 
stores,  his  command  often  had  none  ;  nay,  were  sometimes  under 
the  necessity  of  supplying  their  own  horses  and  purchasing  their 
own  equipments.  But  his  patriotism  was  entire  and  uncalculat- 
ing;  he  recked  not  of  means,  health,  or  life  itself  in  the  cause  to 
which  he  had  devoted  himself;  and  so  he  continued  in  the  field  as 
long  as  there  was  an  enemy  in  the  country,  and  though,  when 
peace  was  declared,  he  had  but  entered  on  the  threshold  of  man- 
hood, he  had  commanded  in  fifteen  different  engagements. 

In  civil  life  he  was  scarcely  less  distinguished.  The  many  im- 
portant positions  filled  by  him  afford  the  highest  testimony  to  his 
capacity  and  character.  He  received  the  commission  of  major- 
general  during  the  war  of  iyi2. 


VISIT    TO   WASHINGTON.  93 

try  maidens.  lvnowin<*-  little  of  the  world  outside  of 
our  father's  home,  wliere  all  was  purity,  peace,  and 
contentment. 

My  first  revelation  of  the  gay  world  was  a  visit  to 
my  uncle  Graham,  in  Washington,  during  the  last 
vear  of  Mr.  Fillmore's  administration.  Washington 
was  then  a  rather  small,  old-fashioned  city  compared 
with  its  present  expansion  and  magnificence,  but  to  a 
little  country  girl,  in  1853,  it  was  the  grandest  and 
most  charming  place  that  she  had  ever  seen.  Two 
other  young  ladies  were  guests  of  my  uncle  at  the 
same  time,  and  we  formed  a  most  congenial  and  hap- 
py trio  during  my  delightful  stay  of  four  months. 
Being  "  Cabinet  ladies,"  we,  of  course,  were  invited 
to  all  the  grand  entertainments,  and  though  none  of 
us  were  dancing  girls  (for  myself,  as  a  minister's 
daughter,  it  would  not  have  been  considered  proper), 
certainly  we  did  not  need  it  to  complete  our  enjoy- 
ment. 

One  of  our  red-letter  evenings  was  a  select  social  tea 
at  the  White  House,  the  charming  hostess,  Miss  Fill- 
more, being  ec^ual  in  cultivation  and  accomplishments 
to  any  one  who  has  filled  the  position  of  "  first  lady 
of  the  land."  Her  mother  was  living,  and,  of  course, 
took  precedence  of  the  daughter,  but  the  latter  was 
hostess  to  her  young  friends  on  this  evening.  We  had 
some  very  delightful  music  on  the  harp,  one  lady  sing- 
ing ''^Auld  Robin  Gray"  with  exquisite  beauty  and 
pathos. 

Upon  my  return  home,  my  younger  sister,  Eugenia, 
was  to  have  a  trip  to  Lexington,  Virginia,  which  at 
that  time  was  the  home  of  our  oldest  sister,  who  had 
married  Major  D.  H.  Hill  (afterwards  general  in  the 


51-1,      LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

('onfederate  army),  a  professor  in  Washington  College. 
One  of  my  father's  elders  and  friends,  Kobert  I.  McDow- 
ell, was  a  delegate  to  the  General  Assembly  at  Philadel- 
phia, and  kindly  offered  to  escort  Eugenia  on  her  jour- 
ney. Having  recently  returned  from  so  long  a  visit 
to  Washington,  it  never  entered  into  my  head  even  to 
wish  that  I  might  be  permitted  to  accompany  my  sis- 
ter, and  my  astonishment  can  be  imagined  when  she 
came  bounding  into  my  room  in  a  perfect  ecstasy,  ex- 
claiming :  "  Oh,  sister,  father  says  you  may  go,  too !" 
Being  a  very  dependent  younger  sister,  and  always 
shrinking,  on  account  of  shyness,  from  going  any- 
where alone,  it  may  be  that  she  had  put  in  a  plea  for 
me  to  accompany  her  that  was  irresistible ;  but,  at  all 
events,  no  plan  could  have  been  more  delightful  than 
for  us  to  make  this  visit  together,  and  two  more  joy- 
ous young  creatures  never  set  out  upon  a  journey,  the 
entire  unexpectedness  of  my  being  one  of  the  party 
filling  the  cup  of  our  happiness. 

At  that  time  North  Carolina  had  only  a  few  rail- 
roads, none  near  to  us,  going  north ;  but  there  was  one 
running  from  Charlotte  to  Charleston,  South  Carolina, 
and  our  escort  chose  this  circuitous  route,  via  Charles- 
ton, Wilmington,  and  Richmond,  rather  than  travel  by 
coach  across  the  country. 

This  long  journey,  instead  of  ]>roving  wearisome  to 
us,  was  a  source  of  genuine  enjoyment,  especially  as 
we  took  it  l)y  easy  stages.  We  spent  one  night  in 
Columbia,  wliich  we  had  time  to  see  in  its  lovely  May 
dress,  witli  its  enchanting  old  private  gardens,  with 
their  wealth  of  flowers  and  evergreens.  At  Charles- 
ton we  spent  only  a  few  hours,  but  our  drive  through 
it  to  take  the  steamer  gave  us  a  glimpse  of  this  city 


FIRST   VISIT    TO   LEXINGTON.  95 

by  the  sea.  Our  rapture  then  reached  its  acme,  when 
we  beheld  for  the  tirst  time  the  ocean,  and  had  a  sail 
of  twenty-four  hours  upon  it  to  Wilmington.  It  was 
a  perfect  afternoon,  the  sunset  was  superb,  and,  as 
we  escaped  seasickness,  we  were  able  to  enjoy  every- 
thing. From  Wilmington  to  Richmond  we  travelled  by 
rail,  and  expected  at  the  latter  place  to  part  with  our 
escort,  but  he  chivalrously  volunteered  to  see  us  to  our 
journey's  end,  and  accompanied  us  all  the  Avay  to  Lex- 
ington, From  Staunton  to  Lexington  we  travelled  by 
stage-coach.  L^pon  our  arrival,  my  sister,  Mrs.  Hill, 
was  as  much  surprised  at  seeing  me  as  I  was  at 
being  permitted  to  take  the  trip,  for  she  was  expect- 
ing only  one  of  her  young  sisters  to  visit  her  that 
summer. 

General  Hill  has  told  of  the  links  in  the  chain  of 
Providence  that  led  ]\rajor  Jackson  to  Lexington.  Of 
course,  I  cannot  but  look  upon  it  as  a  special  Provi- 
dence that  led  me  there  to  meet  him  who  was  to  be 
my  future  husband,  and  to  know  him  as  a  friend,  with- 
out the  remotest  idea,  on  his  part  or  mine,  that  we 
could  ever  be  to  each  other  anything  more. 

Through  the  letters  of  Major  and  Mrs.  Hill,  we  had 
heard  of  their  friend,  Major  Jackson,  and  his  engage- 
ment to  Miss  Elinor  Junkin  had  been  confided  to  them 
before  we  went  to  Lexington,  so  that  before  we  met 
him  we  knew  that  he  was  soon  to  be  married.  He 
was  very  intimate  at  the  house  of  Major  Hill,  and  was 
the  first  gentleman  to  call  upon  us,  his  regard  for  our 
relatives  giving  him  a  very  friendly  feeling  towards 
us.  His  greeting  was  most  cordial,  and  he  very  soon 
offered  his  services  in  the  kindest  manner,  telling  us 
that  if  Major  Hill  was  ever  too  much  engaged  to  give 


96  I^lFE   OF  GENERAL   THOMAS   J.  JACKSON. 

US  every  needful  attention,  Ave  must  call  upon  him  as 
we  would  upon  a  brother. 

My  first  impression  was  that  he  was  more  soldierly- 
looking  than  anything  else,  his  erect  bearing  and  mil- 
itary dress  being  quite  striking;  but  upon  engaging  in 
conversation,  his  open,  animated  countenance,  and  his 
clear  complexion,  tinged  with  the  ruddy  glow  of  health, 
were  still  more  pleasing.  The  descriptions  of  his  per- 
sonal appearance  differ  so  much  that  I  must  be  per- 
mitted to  give  mine,  which  surely  ought  to  be  true  to 
life.  His  head  was  a  splendid  one,  large  and  finely 
formed,  and  covered  with  soft,  dark-brown  hair,  which, 
if  allowed  to  grow  to  any  length,  curled  ;  but  he  had 
a  horror  of  long  hair  for  a  man,  and  clung  to  the  con- 
ventional style,  d  la  militaire,  of  wearing  very  close- 
cut  hair  and  short  side-whiskers.  After  he  was  per- 
suaded to  turn  out  a  full  beard,  it  was  much  more  be- 
coming to  him,  his  beard  being  a  heav}^  and  handsome 
brown,  a  shade  lighter  than  his  hair.  His  forehead 
was  noble  and  expansive,  and  always  fair,  from  its 
protection  by  his  military  cap.  His  eyes  were  blue- 
gray  in  color,  large,  and  well-formed,  capable  of  won- 
derful changes  with  his  varying  emotions.  His  nose 
was  straight  and  finely  chiselled,  his  mouth  small,  and 
his  face  oval.  His  profile  was  very  fine.  All  his  feat- 
ures were;  regular  and  symmetrical,  and  he  was  at  all 
times  mniily  aiitl  imble-looking,  and  when  in  robust 
health  he  was  a  handsome  man. 

His  manners  were  rather  stiff,  but  they  iiad  a  cer- 
tain dignity  which  showed  that  he  was  not  an  oi-di- 
narv  man.  His  uniform,  consisting  of  a  dark -blue 
frock-coat  with  siioulder- straps,  double-breasted,  and 
buttoned  u})  to  the  chin  with  brass  buttons,  and  fault- 


OUR  "MILITARY'    ESCORT."  gtj 

less  wliitc   linen   pantaloons,  was  very  becomino-  to 


linn. 


My  young  sister  and  I  were  at  the  age  when  girls 
can  see/un  in  everything,  and  while  fully  appreciating 
the  warmth  of  his  kindness,  we  were  silly  enough  to 
make  ourselves  very  merry  over  the  role  he  had  as- 
sumed in  offering  himself  as  a  brother  to  us,  and  we 
never  looked  upon  him  as  a  beau  any  more  than  we 
would  upon  a  man  who  was  already  married.     With 
this  perfect  understanding  of  the  situation,  we  came 
to  know  him  very  intimately,  a  day  rarely  passing 
without  his  calling  for  a  few  moments;  and  havino- 
adopted  us  as  his  protegees,  he  came   every  Sunday 
evening  to  see  if  we  were  provided  with  escorts  for 
church.     My  beautiful  young  sister  was  more  of  a 
belle  than  I,  and  was  scarcely  ever  without  an  engage- 
ment of  this  kind,  so  it  fell  to  my  lot  to  share  the 
brotherly  wing  of  the  niajor  oftener  than  to  her.     I 
always  felt  that  he  would  have  chosen  her  first  if  the 
opportunity  offered,  but  neither  of  us  had  any  greater 
hesitation  in  accepting  his  escort  than  we  wouTd  that 
of  Major  Hill.     We  both  felt  that  he  was  a  delightful 
and  never-failing  stand-by,  as  he  always  kept  out  of 
the  way  if  any  other  young  men  wished  to  pay  their 
respects,  only  offering  his  services  when  they  were 
needed.     But  he  often  took  us  on  long  strolls  into 
the  country,  and  contributed  in  every  way  that  he 
could  to  our  enjoyment  as  long  as  he  remained.     We 
teased  him  a  great  deal,  which  he  always  took  good- 
naturedly,  but  never  once  admitted  to  us  the  fact  of 
his  engagement,  and  his  Jiancee  and  he  were  rarely 
seen  together  in  public.     This  was  in  deference  to  her 
wishes,  and  they  both  kept  their  secret  so  well  L^uard- 
7 


98       LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSOX. 

ed  that,  when  their  marriage  was  announced  it  took 
the  town  by  surprise.  We  were  in  Lexington  at  the 
time.  He  had  bidden  us  good-by,  and  gone  off  in  the 
beginning  of  his  summer  vacation,  and  we  thought  we 
had  seen  the  last  of  the  major,  as  we  were  to  return 
home  before  his  professorial  duties  called  him  back. 

That  visit  to  Lexington,  to  us,  was  as  charming  as 
charming  could  be.  Arriving  there,  as  we  did,  in  the 
month  of  May,  that  mountain  country  was  arrayed  in 
all  its  spring  beauty,  and  there  could  not  have  been  a 
more  propitious  season  for  social  enjoyment  to  young 
people  than  just  before  the  commencements  of  the 
two  large  institutions.  We  were  there  long  enough 
in  advance  to  make  many  pleasant  acquaintances, 
and,  that  being  the  gay  season  of  the  town,  there  were 
a  succession  of  entertainments  and  a  round  of  par- 
ties, at  which  there  was  always  music,  but  never  danc- 
ing or  card-playing.  A  more  cultivated  and  religious 
community  was  not  to  be  found;  and  the  numerous 
young  men  there  at  the  time,  embracing  professors, 
theological  and  college  students,  cadets,  and  citizens, 
seemed  to  vie  with  each  other  in  showing  courtesy  to 
the  young  ladies,  of  whom  there  was  an  unusually  large 
circle  there  that  summer.  After  the  commencements 
were  over,  the  greater  part  of  our  acquaintances  left  for 
their  homes,  or  for  new  scenes  of  recrinition  during  the 
vacation.  But  even  after  the  cessation  of  tiie  i-onnd  of 
gayety,  and  when  the  College  iind  the  Institute  wore 
empty,  there  were  enough  residents  left  to  afford  us  a 
very  delightful,  though  quiet,  time  to  the  end  of  our  visit. 

One  August  morning  we  were  taken  by  surjirise 
when  our  friend  ]\Iajor  Jackson  suddenly  dropped  in, 
and  our  many  exclamations  of  wonder  at  seeing  him 


A    SISTER'S   MARRIAGE.  99 

amused  him  as  much  as  his  unexpected  appearance 
astonislied  us.  The  reunion  was  a  merry  one,  and  he 
spent  an  hour  or  more,  calHng  for  his  favorite  songs 
and  seeming  genuinely  happy ;  but  not  even  a  hint 
did  he  give  us  as  to  the  object  of  liis  return,  although 
we  plied  him  with  all  sorts  of  teasing  questions.  We 
saw  him  no  more,  but  were  electrified  the  next  morn- 
ing at  hearing  that  he  and  Miss  Ellie  Junkin  were 
married,  and  had  gone  North  on  a  bridal  tour ! 

After  our  return  home,  my  sister  and  I  became  ab- 
sorbed in  our  old  associations,  and  while  retaining  the 
most  pleasant  and  grateful  recollections  of  our  kind 
friend  Major  Jackson,  we  lost  sight  of  him  entirely ; 
and  as  Major  and  Mrs.  Hill  removed  from  Lexington, 
our  communication  with  the  place  was  cut  off. 

The  following  spring  after  our  return,  Eugenia  was 
married  to  a  young  lawyer  of  North  Carolina,  Mr. 
Rufus  Barringer,  who  during  the  war  became,  a  gen- 
eral in  the  Confederate  army. 

The  loss  of  her  sweet  companionship  was,  up  to  that 
time,  the  greatest  trial  of  my  life.  For  three  years 
after,  I  lived  at  home  "  in  maiden  meditation,  fancy- 
free"— little  dreaming  what  the  future  held  in  store  for 
me ;  for  I  can  truthfully  say  that  my  fate  was  as  much 
of  a  surprise  to  me  as  it  could  have  been  to  any  one 
else.  We  had  heard  with  sincere  sorrow  and  sympa- 
thy of  the  death  of  Mrs.  Jackson  ;  but  afterwards  noth- 
ing was  heard  from  the  major,  except  in  an  incidental 
way.  However,  he  was  given  to  surprises,  and  after 
returning  from  Europe  with  restored  health  and  s})ir- 
its  he  began  to  realize  that  life  could  be  made  bright 
and  happy  to  him  again,  and  in  revolving  this  problem 
in  his  mind  his  first  impulse  was  to  open  communica- 


100  I'IFE    OF   GENERAL    THOMAS   J.  JACKSON. 

tion  with  bis  old  friend  Miss  Anna  Morrison,  and  see 
if  she  could  not  be  induced  to  become  a  participant  in 
attaining  his  desired  happiness.  So,  to  my  great  sur- 
prise, the  first  letter  I  ever  received  from  him  came  to 
me  expressing  such  blissful  memories  over  reminis- 
cences of  the  summer  we  had  been  together  in  Lex- 
ington that  my  sister  Eugenia  laughed  most  heartily 
over  it,  and  predicted  an  early  visit  from  the  major. 
Still,  I  was  incredulous,  and  when  her  prediction  Avas 
verified  in  a  very  short  time,  and  I  saw  a  tall  form, 
in  military  dress,  walking  up  from  my  father's  gate, 
I  could  scarcely  believe  my  senses.  His  visit  was 
brief,  as  he  had  asked  for  a  leave  of  absence  in*  the 
midst  of  the  session,  promising  to  return  on  a  certain 
day,  and  it  mattered  not  how  much  success  or  fascina- 
tion enchained  him,  he  Avould  not  indulge  himself  one 
moment  beyond  the  limit  of  his  time.  My  father  was 
highly  pleased  with  him  as  a  Christian  gentleman,  and 
my  mother  was  also  favorably  impressed,  especially 
with  his  extreme  politeness,  so  that  his  visit  was  one 
of  mutual  congeniality  and  enjoyment.  I  was  always 
thankful  that  our  acquaintance  and  friendship  had 
been  formed  in  a  perfectly  disinterested  way,  without 
a  thought  on  either  side  that  we  should  ever  occupy 
a  closer  relation. 

He  was  a  great  advocate  for  marriage,  appreciating 
the  gentler  sex  so  highly  that  whenever  he  met  one 
of  the  "unappropriated  blessings"  under  the  type  of 
truest  womanhood,  he  would  wish  that  one  of  his  bach- 
elor friends  could  be  fortunate  enough  to  win  her. 

Some  extracts  from  his  letters  after  our  engage- 
ment will  show  the  tenderness  of  his  nature,  and  how 
with  this  human  affection  were  mingled  a  boundless 


EXTRACTS   FROM   LETTERS.  IQl 

love  and  gratitude  to  Ilim  who  was  the  (^iver  of  aU. 
Upon  hearing  of  the  death  of  an  idoHzed  little  boy, 
the  son  of  Major  Ilill,  he  writes :  "  I  wrote  to  Major 
and  Mrs.  Hill  a  few  da3^s  since,  and  my  prayer  is  that 
this  heavy  affliction  may  be  sanctified   to   them.     I 

was  not  surprised  that  little  M was  taken  away, 

as  I  have  long  regarded  his  father's  attachment  to 
him  as  too  strong;  that  is,  so  strong  that  he  Avould 
be  unwiUing  to  give  him  up,  though  God  should  call 
for  his  own.  I  do  not  believe  that  an  attachment 
ever  is,  or  can  be,  absolutely  too  strong  for  any  object 
of  our  affections;  but  our  love  to  God  may  not  be 
strong  enough.  We  may  not  love  Him  so  intensely  as 
to  have  no  will  but  His.  ...  Is  there  not  a  comfort  in 
prayer  which  is  nowhere  else  to  be  found  ?" 

"April  25th,  1857.  It  is  a  great  comfort  to  me  to 
know  that  although  I  am  not  with  you,  yet  you  are 
in  the  hands  of  One  who  will  not  permit  any  evil  to 
come  nigh  you.  What  a  consohng  thought  it  is  to 
know  that  we  may,  with  perfect  confidence,  commit 
all  our  friends  in  Jesus  to  the  care  of  our  Heavenly 
Father,  with  an  assurance  that  all  will  be  well  with 
them !  .  .  .  I  have  been  sorely  disappointed  at  not 
hearing  from  you  this  morning,  but  these  disappoint- 
ments are  all  designed  for  our  good. 

"  In  my  daily  walks  I  think  much  of  you.  I  love  to 
stroll  abroad  after  the  labors  of  the  day  are  over,  and 
inchdge  feelings  of  gratitude  to  God  for  all  the  sources 
of  natural  beauty  with  which  he  has  adorned  the 
earth.  Some  time  since,  my  morning  walks  were  ren- 
dered very  delightful  by  the  singing  of  the  birds.  The 
morning  carolling  of  the  birds,  and  their  sweet  notes 


102  LIFE    OF    GENERAL   THOMAS   J.  JACKSON. 

in  the  evening,  awaken  in  me  devotional  feelings  of 
praise  and  thanksgiving,  though  very  different  in  their 
nature.  In  the  morning,  all  animated  nature  (man  ex- 
cepted) appears  to  join  in  expressions  of  gratitude  to 
God;  in  the  evening, all  is  hushing  into  silent  slumber, 
and  thus  disposes  the  mintl  to  meditation.  And  as 
my  mind  dwells  on  you,  I  love  to  give  it  a  devotional 
turn,  by  thinking  of  you  as  a  gift  from  our  Heavenly 
Father.  How  delightful  it  is  thus  to  associate  every 
pleasure  and  enjoyment  with  God  the  Giver!  Thus 
will  He  bless  us,  and  make  us  grow  in  grace,  and  in 
the  knowledge  of  Him,  whom  to  know  arigjit,  is  life 
eternal.'' 

"  May  7th.  I  wish  I  could  be  with  you  to-morrow 
at  your  communion.  Though  absent  in  body,  yet  in 
spirit  I  shall  be  present,  and  my  prayer  will  be  for 
your  growth  in  every  Christian  grace.  ...  I  take 
special  pleasure  in  the  part  of  my  prayers  in  which  I 
beg  that  every  temporal  and  spiritual  blessing  may 
be  yours,  and  that  the  glory  of  God  may  be  the  con- 
trolling and  absorbing  thought  of  our  lives  in  our  new 
relation.  It  is  to  me  a  great  satisfaction  to  feel  tliat 
our  Heavenly  Father  has  so  manifestly  ordered  our 
union.  I  believe,  and  am  persuaded,  that  if  we  l)ut 
walk  in  His  commandments,  acknowledo-ino:  Him  in 
all  our  ways.  He  will  shower  His  blessings  upon  us. 
How  delightful  it  is  to  feel  that  we  have  such  a 
friend,  who  changes  not !  The  Christian's  recogni- 
tion of  God  in  all  His  works  greatly  enhances  his  en- 
joyment." 

"  May  l(5th.     There  is  sometiiing  very  pleasant  in 


HIS   SECOND    MARUIAG?:.  103 

the  thought  of  your  mailing  me  a  letter  every  Mon- 
day;  such  manifestation  of  regard  for  the  Sabbath 
must  be  well-pleasing  in  the  sight  of  God.  Oh  that 
all  our  people  would  manifest  such  a  regard  for  his 
holy  day!  If  we  would  all  strictly  observe  his  holy 
laws,  what  would  not  our  country  be  ?  .  .  .  When  in 
prayer  for  you  last  Sabbath,  the  tears  came  to  my  eyes, 
and  I  realized  an  unusual  degree  of  emotional  tender- 
ness. I  have  not  yet  fully  analyzed  my  feelings  to  my 
satisfaction,  so  as  to  arrive  at  the  cause  of  such  emo- 
tions ;  but  I  am  dis})osed  to  think  that  it  consisted  in 
the  idea  of  the  intimate  relation  existing  between  you, 
as  the  object  of  my  tender  affection,  and  (lod,  to 
whom  I  looked  up  as  my  Heavenly  Father.  I  felt  that 
day  as  if  it  were  a  communion  day  for  myself."  .  .  . 

"  June  20th.  I  never  remember  to  have  felt  so  touch- 
ingly  as  last  Sabbath  the  pleasure  springing  from  the 
thought  of  prayers  ascending  for  my  welfare  from 
one  tenderly  beloved.  There  is  something  very  de- 
lightful in  such  spiritual  communion." 

On  the  lP)th  of  July,  1857,  we  w^ere  married.  It 
was  a  quiet  little  home  wedding,  and  the  ceremony 
was  performed  by  a  favorite  old  ministerial  friend  of 
mine.  Rev.  Dr.  Drury  Lacy.  My  father  could  not 
trust  his  emotional  nature  enough  to  marry  any  of 
his  daughters. 

Whether  or  not  it  was  in  his  usual  fornmla,  or 
whether  he  w^as  impressed  by  the  very  determined 
and  unbending  look  of  the  military  bridegroom.  Dr. 
Lacy  made  him  promise  to  be  an  "  indulgent  husband," 
laying  special  stress  upon  the  adjective ;  but  he  was 


104     LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

equally  emphatic  in  exacting  obedience  on  the  part  of 
the  bride. 

The  most  memorable  incident  of  the  occasion  to 
me  was  that  my  trousseau,  which  had  been  ordered 
from  Xew  York  in  ample  time,  arrived  only  a  few 
hours  before  the  ceremony,  and  I  had  been  compelled 
to  improvise  a  bridal  outfit,  in  the  certain  expectation 
of  disappointment.  However,  the  old  adage  "  All's 
well  that  ends  well "  was  verified  in  this  case,  as  every 
article  of  my  ordering  was  a  perfect  fit,  and  entirely 
satisfactory  ;  and  the  trustful  major  had  reassured  me 
all  along  that  they  would  come  in  time.  This  was  one 
of  the  "special  providences"  which  he  loved  to  re- 
count. His  bridal  gifts  to  me  were  a  beautiful  gold 
watch  and  a  lovely  set  of  seed  pearls. 

A  few  days  after  our  marriage  we  set  out  upon  a 
Northern  tour.  The  trip  included  visits  to  Richmond, 
Baltimore,  Philadelphia,  New  York,  Saratoga,  and  Ni- 
agara. In  New  York  we  saw  almost  everything  that 
was  to  be  seen  in  the  way  of  sight-seeing,  even  climb- 
ing to  the  top  of  the  spire  of  Trinity  Church,  to  take 
a  bird's-eye  view  of  the  magnificent  panorama  which 
it  overlooks.  The  view  was  indeed  grand,  embracing 
the  wiiole  city — graceful,  sparkling  rivers;  the  bay 
and  sound,  studded  with  vessels  in  motion  and  at 
rest ;  and  beautiful  rural  scenery  stretching  out  as  far 
as  the  eye  could  reach. 

But  the  places  that  combined  the  greatest  amount 
of  interest  and  pleasure  were  Niagara  and  Saratoga. 
No  man  delighted  more  in  viewing  the  grand  and  won- 
derful works  of  the  Creator,  and  in  looking  "through 
nature  up  to  nature's  God."  At  Saratoga  he  took 
not  a  particle  of  interest  in  the  gay  and  fashionable 


lif  THE   VALLEY   OF  VIRGINIA.  105 

throng,  but  the  natural  beauties  of  the  place  charmed 
him,  and  he  found  a  delightful  recreation  in  rowing 
me  over  the  lovely  lake,  whose  placid  waters  were,  at 
that  time,  covered  with  watei'-lilies. 

After  completing  this  deliglitful  Xorthern  tour,  we 
Avended  our  way  to  the  Ilockbridge  Alum  Springs,  a 
ver}'^  pleasant  mountain  resort  in  the  Valley  of  Vir- 
ginia, and  only  a  few  hours  from  Lexington.  Here 
we  remained  several  weeks,  or  until  the  beginning  of 
the  session  at  the  Institute  ;  enjoying  the  quiet,  and 
spending  the  time  in  reading,  walliing,  and  sitting 
in  the  woods  ;  the  delicious  mountain  air  and  fine 
scenery  giving  a  zest  to  existence,  and  sending  us 
away  regretfully  when  duty  called  us  home.  Major 
Jackson  derived  great  benefit  from  the  mineral  waters 
of  the  Kockbridge  Alum  Springs,  and  it  was  a  favorite 
resort  of  his.  Upon  our  return  to  Lexington  we  lived 
for  a  few  months  at  the  best  hotel  in  the  place ;  but  he 
was  not  at  all  fond  of  boarding,  and  longed  for  the 
time  when  he  could  have  a  home  of  his  own.  In  a 
letter  to  a  friend  he  says  :  "  I  hope  in  the  course  of 
time  we  shall  be  able  to  call  some  house  our  home. 
W'here  we  may  liave  the  pleasure  of  receiving  a  long 
visit  from  you.  I  shall  never  be  content  until  I  am 
at  the  head  of  an  establishment  in  which  my  friends 
can  feel  at  home  in  Lexington.  I  have  taken  the  first 
important  step  by  securing  a  wife  capable  of  making 
a  happy  home,  and  the  next  thing  is  to  give  her  an 
opportunity." 

Doctor  Dabney  truly  says  of  General  Jackson  that 
"  in  no  man  were  the  domestic  affections  ever  more 
tender  and  noble.  He  who  saw  only  the  stern,  self- 
denying  soldier  in  his  quarters,  amidst  the  details  of 


106  LIFE   OF  GEXERAL  THOMAS   J.  JACKSON. 

the  commander's  duties,  or  on  the  field  of  battle,  could 
scarcely  comprehend  the  gentle  sweetness  of  his  home 
life.  There  the  cloud,  which  to  his  enemies  was  only 
night  and  tempest,  displayed  nothing  but  the  '  silver 
lining.'  In  his  household  the  law  of  love  reigned :  his 
own  pattern  was  the  chief  stimulus  to  duty ;  and  his 
sternest  rebuke,  when  he  beheld  any  recession  from 
gentleness  or  propriety,  was  to  say,  half  tenderly,  half 
sadly  :  '  Ah !  that  is  not  the  way  to  be  happy  !'  " 
Bayard  Taylor's  beautiful  lines : 

"  Tiie  bravest  are  the  tenderest, 
The  loving  are  tlie  during,"' 

found  a  true  exemplification  in  him,  of  which  his 
letters  will  be  the  best  proof. 

A  few  months  after  our  marriage  he  proposed  that 
we  should  study  together  the  Shorter  Catecliism  as  a 
Sabbath-afternoon  exercise,  and  it  was  not  long  until 
we  committed  it  to  memory — he  reciting  it  to  me 
with  perfect  accuracy  from  beginning  to  end.  This 
he  had  not  been  taught  in  his  youth,  although  he  had 
read  it  carefully  before  committing  himself  to  Presby- 
terianism.  lie  considered  it  a  model  of  sound  doc- 
trine, as  he  did  also  the  Confession  of  Faith  ;  but  his 
chief  study  was  the  Bible  itself,  which  was  truly  ''  a 
lamp  unto  his  feet,  and  a  light  unto  his  path." 

After  l)oarding  more  than  a  year,  he  finally  suc- 
ceeded in  })urchasing  a  house  in  Lexington,  the  only 
available  one  he  could  obtain,  and  it  was  his  intention 
to  sell  it  and  build  one  to  suit  himself  in  the  course  of 
time.  P>ut  unsiiital)lc  as  tiiis  large,  old  house  was  for 
his  small  rainily,  it  was  genuine  happiness  to  him  to 
have  a  home  of  his  own  :  it  was  the  lirst  one  he  had 
ever  possessed,  and  it  was  truly  his  castle.     Me  lost 


UNDER   OUR  OWN   ROOF-TREE. 


107 


no  time  in  going  to  work  to  repair  it  and  make  it 
comfortable  and  attractive.  His  tastes  were  simple, 
but  he  liked  to  have  everything  in  ])erfect  order — 
every  door  "on  golden  hinges  softly  turning,"  as  he 
expressed  it ;  "a  place  for  everything,  and  everything 
in  its  place ;"  and  under  his  methodical  management 


THE   JACKSON   DWELLING,   LEXINGTON. 

his  household  soon  became  as  regular  and  well-or- 
dered as  it  was  possible  for  it  to  be  with  negro  ser- 
vants. His  furniture  was  very  plain,  though  of  ex- 
cellent materials;  but  simplicity  itself  marked  every 
article.  A  lady  said  it  was  just  her  idea  of  a  Chris- 
tian home.  He  believed  in  providing  his  family  with 
every  comfort  and  convenience,  for  which  he  spared 


108  i^IFE   OF   GEXERAL   THOMAS   J.  JACKSON. 

no  expense.  He  was  intensely  fond  of  his  home,  and 
it  was  there  he  found  his  greatest  happiness.  There 
all  that  was  best  in  his  nature  shone  forth,  sheclcUng 
sweetness  and  light  over  his  household. 

Those  who  knew  General  Jackson  only  as  they  saw 
him  in  public  would  have  found  it  hard  to  believe  that 
there  could  be  such  a  transformation  as  he  exhibited 
in  his  domestic  life.  He  luxuriated  in  the  freedom 
and  liberty  of  his  home,  and  his  buoyancy  and  joyous- 
ness  of  nature  often  ran  into  a  playfulness  and  ahan- 
don  that  would  have  been  incredible  to  those  who 
saw  him  only  when  he  put  on  his  official  dignity. 
The  overflowing  sunshine  of  his  heart  was  a  reflection 
from  the  Sun  of  Kighteousness,  and  he  always  said 
we  could  not  love  an  earthly  creature  too  much  if  we 
only  loved  God  more.  He  was  generous  but  unosten- 
tatious in  his  mode  of  living,  and  nothing  gave  him 
more  pleasure  than  to  welcome  his  friends  to  his  sim- 
ple and  hospitable  home.  He  particularly  delighted 
in  entertaining  ministers  of  the  Gospel. 

His  garden  was  a  source  of  very  great  pleasure  to 
him  :  he  worked  in  it  a  great  deal  with  his  own  hands. 
and  cultivated  it  in  quite  a  scientific  way.  He  stud- 
ied Buist's  Kitchen  Garden^  and  liad  an  elaborate  cal- 
endar for  planting,  which  was  given  him  by  an  en- 
thusiastic brother-officer  in  the  army.  So  successful 
was  he  as  a  gardener  that  he  raised  more  vegetables 
than  his  family  could  consume.  His  early  training 
upon  his  uncle's  farm  had  instilled  into  him  a  love  for 
rural  pursuits,  and  it  was  not  long  until  he  gratified 
his  desire  to  possess  a  little  farm  of  his  own,  which 
embraced  twenty  acres  near  town.  Here,  with  the 
aid  of  his  negroes,  he  raised  wheat,  corn,  and  other 


ORDER   OF    THK    DAYS   DUTIES.  109 

products,  and  every  year  his  crops  and  land  improved 
under  bis  diligent  care.  This  farm  he  sold  during  the 
war,  and  invested  the  proceeds  in  Confederate  bonds 
to  assist  the  government. 

His  life  at  home  was  perfectly  regular  and  system- 
atic, lie  arose  about  six  o'clock,  and  first  knelt  in 
secret  prayer;  then  he  took  a  cold  bath,  which  was 
never  omitted  even  in  the  coldest  days  of  winter. 
This  was  followed  by  a  brisk  walk,  in  rain  or  shine 
(for  with  a  pair  of  india-rubber  cavalry  boots  and  a 
heavy  army  overcoat  he  was  independent  of  the  weath- 
er), and  he  returned,  looking  the  picture  of  freshness 
and  animation. 

Seven  o'clock  was  the  hour  for  family  praj^ers, 
which  he  required  all  his  servants  to  attend  prompt- 
ly and  regularly.  He  never  waited  for  any  one,  not 
even  his  wife. 

Breakfast  followed  prayers,  after  which  he  left  im- 
mediately for  the  Institute,  his  classes  opening  at 
eight  o'clock  and  continuing  until  eleven.  He  was 
engaged  in  teaching  only  three  hours  a  day,  except 
for  a  few  weeks  before  the  close  of  the  session,  when 
the  artillery  practice  demanded  an  additional  hour 
in  the  afternoon.  Upon  his  return  home  at  eleven 
o'clock,  he  devoted  himself  to  study  until  one.  The 
first  book  he  took  up  daily  was  his  Bible,  which  he 
read  with  a  commentary,  and  the  many  pencil-marks 
upon  it  showed  with  what  care  he  bent  over  its  pages. 
From  his  Bible  lesson  he  turned  to  his  text-books, 
which  engaged  him  until  dinner,  at  one  o'clock.  Dur- 
ing these  hours  of  study  he  would  not  permit  any  in- 
terruption, and  stood  all  that  time  in  front  of  a  high 
desk,  which   he   had   had   made   to   order,  and  upon 


110     LIFE  OF  GENEHAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

which  he  kept  his  books  and  stationery.  After  din- 
ner he  gave  himself  up  for  half  an  hour  or  more  to 
leisure  and  conversation,  and  this  was  one  of  the 
brightest  periods  in  the  home  life,  lie  then  went 
into  his  garden,  or  out  to  his  farm  to  superintend  his 
servants,  and  frequently  joined  them  in  manual  labor. 
He  would  often  drive  me  out  to  the  farm,  and  find  a 
shady  spot  for  me  under  the  trees,  while  he  attended 
to  the  work  of  the  field.  When  this  was  not  the  case, 
he  always  returned  in  time  to  take  me,  if  the  weather 
permitted,  for  an  evening  walk  or  drive.  In  summer 
we  often  took  our  drives  b}^  moonlight,  and  in  that 
beautif  id  Valley  of  Virginia  the  queen  of  night  seemed 
to  shine  with  more  brightness  than  anywhere  else ; 
but,  leaving  all  romance  out  of  the  question,  there 
could  be  no  more  delightful  way  of  spending  the  long 
summer  evening.  When  at  home,  he  would  indulge 
himself  in  a  season  of  rest  and  recreation  after  supper, 
thinking  it  was  injurious  to  health  to  go  to  work  im- 
mediately. As  it  Avas  a  rule  with  him  never  to  use  his 
eyes  by  artificial  light,  he  formed  the  habit  of  study- 
ing mentally  for  an  hour  or  so  without  a  book.  After 
going  over  his  lessons  in  the  morning,  he  thus  re- 
viewed them  at  night,  and  in  order  to  abstract  his 
thoughts  from  surrounding  objects — a  habit  which  he 
had  cultivated  to  a  remarkable  degree — he  would,  if 
alone  with  his  wife,  ask  that  he  might  not  be  dis- 
turbed by  any  conversation,  and  he  would  then  take 
his  seat  with  his  face  to  the  Avail,  and  remain  in 
perfect  abstraction  until  he  finished  his  mental  task, 
when  he  would  emerge  witli  a  bright  and  clioorful 
face  into  social  enjoyment  again,  lie  was  very  fond 
of  being  read  to,  and  much  of  our  time  in  the  even- 


HIS   "STUDY"   AT   HOME.  HI 

ings  was  passed  in  my  ministering  to  him  in  this  way. 
At  first  he  fitted  up  a  study  for  iiiraself,  but  having  no 
children,  he  grackially  came  to  making  our  large,  pleas- 
ant living-room  his  study,  and  finally  moved  his  up- 
rio'ht  desk  into  it,  havino^  become  assured  that  he 
would  meet  with  no  interruption,  either  in  his  morn- 
ino-  work,  or  when  he  sat  with  face  to  the  wall,  as 
silent  and  as  dumb  as  the  sphinx,  reviewing  his  les- 
sons in  the  evening.  He  had  a  library,  which,  though 
small,  was  select,  composed  chiefly  of  scientific,  his- 
torical, and  religious  books,  w4th  some  of  a  lighter 
character,  and  some  in  Spanish  and  P'rench.  Nearly 
all  of  them  were  full  of  his  pencil  marks,  made  w^ith  a 
view  to  future  reference. 

The  few  years  spent  so  happily  and  peacefully  in 
this  little  home  were  unmarked  by  any  events  important 
to  the  outside  world.  One  little  bud  of  promise  Avas 
sent  for  a  brief  period  to  awaken  new  hopes  of  do- 
mestic joy  and  comfort,  but  it  pleased  God  to  trans- 
plant it  to  heaven  before  these  hopes  could  be  real- 
ized. The  father,  in  announcing  the  arrival  of  the 
infant  to  its  grandmother,  commences  thus :  "  Dear 
mother,  we  have  in  our  home  circle  a  darling  little 
namesake  of  yours,  and  she  is  a  bright  little  one,  her 
father  being  the  judge.  .  .  ."  And  he  concludes  by  say- 
ing :  "  I  hope  it  will  not  be  many  years  before  our  little 
Mary  Graham  will  be  able  to  send  sweet  little  mes- 
sages to  you  all."  The  child  lived  only  a  few  weeks, 
and  its  loss  was  a  great,  very  great,  sorrow  to  him. 
But  here,  as  always,  religion  subdued  every  murmur. 
Great  as  was  his  love  for  children,  his  spirit  of  sub- 
mission was  greater,  and  even  in  this  bitter  disappoint- 
ment he  bowed  uncomplaining  to  his  Father's  will. 


CHAPTER  YIII. 

HOME   LIFE   CONTINUED— 1858-1859. 

The  summer  of  1858  was  ushered  in  with  sorrow, 
bringing  my  first  taste  of  bitter  bereavement.  Soon 
after  the  loss  of  our  first-born,  another  crushing  stroke 
came  in  the  death  of  my  sister  Eugenia,  who  had  always 
been  to  me  like  a  twin  sister,  so  united  and  happy  had 
been  our  early  lives  together.  She  left  two  little  chil- 
dren motherless,  and  I  was  not  permitted  to  be  with 
her  at  the  time  of  her  death  ;  so  it  seemed  as  if  my  cup 
of  trial  was  full.  But  all  that  love  and  sympathy  could 
suggest  to  alleviate  a  first  grief  was  done  for  me  by 
my  good  husband,  and  liis  own  beautiful  example  of 
resignation  and  cheerfulness  was  a  rebuke  to  me. 

That  summer  was  spent  at  the  North.  He  was 
never  willing  to  be  separated  from  his  wife,  unless 
duty  or  necessity  required  it — his  desire  being  to  share 
his  every  pleasure  with  her,  without  whom  it  would 
not  be  complete.  His  vacations  were  seasons  of  great 
recreation  and  enjoyment  to  him.  He  was  fond  of 
travelling,  and  liked  the  bracing  climate  of  the  North- 
ern States.  When  worn  down  by  the  labors  of  his 
professorship, he  used  to  say  that  he  had  "a  periodical 
longing  to  go  Noi'th,'"  and  this  he  gratified  every  sum- 
mer after  our  marriage,  until  the  beginning  of  the  war. 
He  always  returned  home  much  refreshed  and  bene- 
fited by  these  excursions. 


IN   THE   CITY   OF   NEW   YORK.  ^IS 

He  liad  never  visited  Fortress  Monroe,  and  he  seemed 
to  think  that  was  a  duty  he  owed  himself;  so  tliis 
summer  of   1858  we  took   that   point   in    our  route, 
and  spent  a  few  days  there— he  passing  mucli  of  his 
time  in  the  fort,  and  ac(juainting  himself  with  every 
part  of  it.     AVe  then  went  by  steamer  to  Cape  May, 
where  he  luxuriated  in  the  surf  bathing.     Another 
delightful  trip  by  steamer  took  us  to  ^"ew  York,  where 
we  spent  several  weeks,  for  the  purpose  of  having  his 
throat  treated  by  a  specialist,     lie  was  afl'ected  with 
a  slight  bronchial  trouble,  but  was  not  at  all  an  invalid 
in  any  other  respect.     While  in  the  city,  a  part  of  each 
day  was  devoted  to  sight-seeing.     He  generally  went 
out  alone  in  the  morning  on  an  exploring  expedition, 
being  an  indefatigable  walker,  and  then  he  would  re- 
turn and  take  me  to  the  places  which  he  thought 
would  most  interest  me.     Thus  the  time  was  passed 
most  agreeably  in  driving  and  seeing  every  place  of 
interest  in  and  around  the  city.     The  Dusseldorf  Art 
Gallery  was  a  favorite  place  of  resort,  for  while  he 
had  but  little  knowledge  of  art,  he  had  a  natural  love 
for  it.     After  spending  the  mornings  in  this  way,  he 
enjoyed  nothing  so  much  in  the  evenings  as  to  stay 
quietly  at  home  and  have  me  read  to  him.     This  sum- 
mer was  devoted  to  Shakespeare,  and  he  was  a  most 
attentive  and  appreciative  listener.     Whenever  a  pasr 
sage  struck  him,  he   would  say,  "Mark  that,"  and 
many  were  the  interruptions  of  this  kind.     The  even- 
ings   were   sometimes   varied    by   attending   a   con- 
cert. 

The  opening  of  the  fall  term  of  the  Military  Insti- 
tute always  found  him  at  his  post,  and  our  return 
home  was  a  joyful  time  both  to  us  and  our  domestics. 


1]4     LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

As  these  servants  will  frequentl}'  be  mentioned  in 
his  letters,  a  short  account  of  them  may  not  be  un- 
interesting. The  first  slave  he  ever  owned  was  a  man 
named  Albert,  who  came  to  him  and  betJ^o-ed  that  he 
would  buy  him  on  the  condition  that  he  might  be  per- 
mitted to  emancipate  himself  by  a  return  of  the  pur- 
chase-money, as  he  would  be  able  to  pay  it  in  annual 
instalments.  Major  Jackson  granted  his  request,  al- 
though he  had  to  wait  several  years  before  the  debt 
could  be  paid,  and  my  impression  is  that  it  was  not 
fully  paid  when  the  war  broke  out.  This  man,  Al- 
bert, hired  himself  as  a  hotel-waiter,  and  was  never 
an  inmate  of  our  family,  except  on  one  occasion,  when 
he  had  a  long  spell  of  illness,  and  his  master  took  him 
to  his  home  to  care  for  him  as  an  act  of  humanity,  for 
Albert  had  no  family  of  his  own.  Every  morning  my 
husband  paid  him  a  call  to  see  how  he  Avas  getting 
along  and  what  he  needed ;  and  one  morning,  as  he 
came  in  from  one  of  these  visits,  his  face  was  so  con- 
vulsed witli  laughter  that  he  had  to  drop  into  a  seat 
and  give  full  vent  to  the  explosion  before  he  was  able 
to  ex])lain  the  cause -of  it.  Albert  had  been  committed 
to  the  ministrations  of  our  two  maid -servants,  with 
the  expectation  that  he  would  be  well  cared  for  by 
these  colored  sisters ;  but  probably  he  was  not  grate- 
ful enough  for  their  services,  or  their  tender  mercies 
towards  him  may  have  grown  cruel.  At  ;ill  events, 
he  complained  of  their  neglect  ;ind  ill-treatiiiciit.  wliich 
he  summed  up  by  saying  that  he  '•'■had  never  been  so 
bedevilled  hy  two  women  in  his  life .'"  It  was  tnis 
disirusted  and  dolorous  recital  (jf  his  woes  that  had 
amused  the  major  so  intensely. 

The  next  servant  that  came  into  his  possession  was 


\ 

HIS   SERVANTS.— DEATH   OF   "AUNT  AMY."  II5 

an  old  woman,  Amy,  who  was  about  to  be  sold  for 
debt,  and  who  sought  from  him  a  deliverance  from 
her  troubles.  This  was  some  time  before  our  marriage, 
when  he  had  no  use  for  her  services ;  but  his  kind 
heart  was  moved  by  her  situation,  and  he  yielded  to 
her  entreaties,  and  gave  her  a  home  in  a  good.  Chris- 
tian family,  until  he  had  one  of  his  own.  She  proved 
her  gratitude  by  serving  him  faithfully.  She  was  one 
of  the  best  of  colored  cooks,  and  was  a  real  treasure 
to  me  in  my  new  experience  as  a  housekeeper.  After 
our  home  was  broken  up  by  the  war,  old  Aunt  Amy 
languished  and  died  in  the  house  of  a  colored  woman 
in  Lexington,  her  master  paying  all  her  expenses  of 
board,  medical  attendance,  and  comforts.  She  was 
not  suffered  to  want  for  anything,  a  kind  friend  tlien 
looking  after  her,  at  his  request,  and  providing  for  her 
suitable  burial. 

Hardly  had  this  poor  old  servant  breathed  her  last 
when  the  friend  who  had  been  engaged  to  care  for 
her  wrote  to  General  Jackson  to  inform  him  of  her 
death.  And  though  he  was  then  in  the  field,  with 
other  things  to  think  of,  he  said  the  reading  of  it 
"  moved  him  to  tears."     In  it  the  friend  writes  : 

...  "I  could  have  wished  that  your  letter  had 
come  a  few  hours  earher,  that  poor  Aunt  Amy's 
heart  might  have  been  refreshed  by  the  evidences  of 
your  Christian  remembrance  and  kindness.  Before  it 
reached  me,  she  had  passed  beyond  the  need  of  earth- 
ly aid  or  sympathy,  and  I  do  trust  was  an  adoring, 
wondering  spirit  before  the  Throne.  She  died  last 
night  at  midnight  without  any  fear,  and,  as  I  believe, 
with  a  simple  reliance  on  Jesus  for  salvation.     It  was 


116  LIFE  OF   GENERAL    THOMAS   J.  JACKSON", 

only  the  death  of  a  poor  slave— a  most  insignificant 
thing  in  men's  eyes — and  yet  may  we  not  hope  that 
there  was  joy  in  heaven  over  another  ransomed  soul 
—  one  in  whom  the  Saviour  saw  the  result  of  '  his 
travail'  and  was  'satisfied.'  ...  I  called  to  see  her 
a  few  minutes  last  Friday  —  found  her  sitting  up, 
though  suffering  much.  She  told  me  that  she  wanted 
to  thank  you  for  that  money,  and  to  let  you  know 
about  her.  She  expressed  entire  resignation  to  God's 
will,  and  trust  in  Christ  alone.  ...  I  knew  that  it 
would  be  your  wish  that  she  should  have  a  well-ordered 
burial,  so  Dr.  White  attended,  and  my  servants  tell  me 
that  it  is  many  a  day  since  so  large  a  colored  funeral 
has  been  seen  in  Lexington.  It  may  seem  very  need- 
less to  write  so  minutely  about  a  poor  old  servant,  but 
I  am  sure  your  true  Christian  feeling  will  appreciate 
all  that  I  have  told  you  of  the  humble  faith  of  this 
saved  soul,  gathered  from  your  own  household.  The 
cup  of  cold  water  you  have  ministered  to  this  poor 
disciple  may  avail  more  in  the  Master's  eye  than  all 
the  brilliant  deeds  with  which  you  may  glorify  your 
country's  battle-fields.  So  differently  do  man  and  his 
Maker  judge !" 

Hetty,  our  chambermaid  and  laundress,  was  an  im- 
portation from  North  Carolina.  She  had  been  my 
nurse  in  infancy,  and  from  this  fact  there  had  always 
existed  between  us  a  bond  of  mutual  interest  and  at- 
tachment. As  she  wished  to  live  with  me,  my  father 
transferred  to  me  the  ownership  of  herself  and  her  two 
boys.  Hetty  was  sent  as  a  nurse  to  our  first  child, 
from  her  plantation-home  in  IS^orth  Carolina  to  Lex- 
ington, and  made  the  journey  all  alone,  which  was 


UETTV  AND  HER  BOYS.  117 

quite  a  feat  for  one  so  inexperienced  as  a  "  corn-field 
hand,"  in  whicli  capacity  she  had  served  for  years. 
After  travelhng  by  stage-coach  and  railroad  as  far  as 
llichmond  (altliough  she  did  not  go  down  into  South 
CaroUna,  around  llobin  Hood's  Earn,  and  baclv  again 
into  North  Carolina,  as  my  sister  Eugenia  and  I  had 
done),  slie  had  to  change  cars,  and  being  sorely  be- 
wildered in  finding  her  train,  she  was  asked  Avhere 
she  was  going,  and  her  discouraged  reply  was  :  "  AVliy, 
I'm  going  to  Virginia^  but  the  Lord  knows  whether 
I'll  ever  get  there  or  not !"  She  did,  however,  turn 
up  all  right  at  the  end  of  her  destination,  and  was  so 
rejoiced  at  finding  her  young  mistress  at  last  that  her 
demonstrations  were  quite  touching,  as  she  laughed 
and  cried  by  turns. 

That  she  was  fully  equal  to  taking  care  of  herself 
is  instanced  by  the  following :  On  her  return  to  North 
Carolina  during  the  war,  she  was  again  travelling  alone, 
and  while  changing  trains  she  saw  a  man  pick  up  her 
little,  old  hair  trunk — her  own  personal  property,  con- 
taining all  her  valuables — and  suspecting  his  honesty, 
with  a  determination  to  stand  up  for  her  rights,  she 
called  out  to  him  peremptorily :  "  Put  down  that 
truy^h  I  thafs  General  Jachson^s  trvnl' T" 

Hetty  was  an  energetic,  impulsive,  quick-tempered 
woman,  with  some  fine  traits,  but  inclined  to  self- 
assertion,  particularly  as  she  felt  her  importance  in 
being  so  much  the  senior  of  her  new  master  and  mis- 
tress. But  she  soon  realized,  from  the  spirit  which 
"  commanded  his  household  after  him,"  that  her  only 
course  must  be  that  of  implicit  obedience.  After  learn- 
ing this  lesson  she  toned  down  into  a  well-mannered, 
useful  domestic,  and  indeed  she  became  a  factotum  in 


118     UFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSOX. 

the  household,  rendering  vakiable  service  in  the  house, 
garden,  and  upon  the  farm.  The  hitter,  however,  was 
her  favorite  liekl  of  hibor,  for  the  freedom  of  the 
country  was  as  sweet  to  her  as  to  the  birds  of  the  air. 
She  became  devoted  to  her  master,  was  the  nurse  to 
his  infant  child  at  the  time  of  his  death,  and  was  a 
sincere  mourner  for  him,  her  tears  flowing  freely ; 
and  she  said  she  had  lost  her  best  friend. 

Hetty's  two  boys,  C3n'us  (called  Cy)  and  George,  be- 
tween the  ages  of  twelve  and  sixteen,  were  pure,  una- 
dulterated Africans,  and  Major  Jackson  used  to  say 
that  if  these  boys  were  left  to  themselves  they  would 
be  sure  to  go  back  to  barbarism ;  and  yet  he  was  un- 
wearying in  his  efforts  to  elevate  them.  At  his  re- 
quest I  taught  them  to  read,  and  he  required  them  to 
attend  regularly  family  worship,  Sunday-school,  and 
church.  He  was  a  very  strict  but  kind  master,  giv- 
ing to  his  servants  "  that  which  is  just  and  equal,"  but 
exacting  of  them  prompt  obedience.  He  thought  the 
best  rule  for  both  parents  and  masters  was,  after  mak- 
ing prohibitory  laws  and  knowing  they  were  under- 
stood, never  to  threaten,  but  punish,  for  first  offences, 
and  make  such  an  impression  that  the  offence  would 
not  be  repeated.  . 

When  a  servant  left  a  room  without  closing  the 
door,  ho  would  wait  until  he  had  reached  the  kitchen, 
and  then  call  him  back  to  shut  it,  thereby  giving  him 
extra  trouble,  which  generally  insured  his  remembrance 
the  next  time.  His  training  made  the  colored  servants 
as  polite  and  panctual  as  that  race  is  capable  of  being, 
and  his  system  soon  showed  its  good  effects.  They 
realized  that  if  they  did  their  duty  they  would  receive 
the  best  of  treatment  from  him.    At  (^iiristmas  he  was 


LITTLE   EMMA.  HQ 

generous  in  presents,  and  frequently  gave  them  small 
sums  of  money. 

There  was  one  other  little  servant  in  the  family, 
named  Emma,  whom  the  master  took  under  his  shel- 
tering roof  at  the  solicitation  of  an  aged  lady  in  town, 
to  whom  the  child  became  a  care  after  having  been 
left  an  orphan.  The  arrangement  was  made  during 
my  absence  from  home,  and  without  my  knowledge, 
my  husband  thinking  that,  although  Emma  was  of  the 
tender  age  of  only  four  years,  she  would  make  a  nice 
little  maid  for  me  in  the  futui-e.  On  my  return  he 
took  great  pleasure  in  surprising  me  with  this  new 
present,  w^hich,  by  the  way,  proved  rather  a  trouble- 
some one  at  first,  but  with  the  lapse  of  time  she  be- 
came useful,  though  never  a  treasure.  She  was  not 
bright,  but  he  persevered  in  drilling  her  into  memor- 
izing a  child's  catechism,  and  it  was  a  most  amusing 
picture  to  see  her  standing  before  him  with  fixed  at- 
tention, as  if  she  were  straining  every  nerve,  and  recit- 
ing her  answers  with  the  drop  of  a  courtesy  at  each 
word.  She  had  not  been  taught  to  do  this,  but  it  was 
such  an  effort  for  her  to  learn  that  she  assumed  this 
motion  involuntarily. 

The  other  animate  possessions  of  the  family  were  a 
good-looking  horse  (named,  from  his  color,  Bay),  two 
splendid  milch  cows,  and  a  lot  of  chickens.  Bay  was 
also  bought  during  my  absence,  and  after  coming  to 
meet  me  at  Goshen  with  a  horse  and  buggy,  on  our 
homeward  ride  I  commented  on  the  nice  appearance 
of  the  horse,  when  my  husband  smilingly  replied :  ''  I 
am  very  thankful  that  you  like  him,  for  he  is  your 
own  property."  He  had  a  playful  Avay  of  applying 
the  pronoun  youi'  to  all  tiio  comnion  |)ossessioiis  of  the 


120      LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TUOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

famil}',  and  so  persistently  did  he  practise  this  pleas- 
antry that  he  applied  it  to  himself  and  all  his  indi- 
vidual belongings,  of  which  ho  always  spoke  to  me  as 
"  your  husband,"  "  your  cap,"  "  your  house,"  and  even 
'•  your  salary  !"  Upon  the  occasion  of  a  visit  from  my 
mother  to  us,  he  went  out  and,  unexpectedly  to  me, 
bought  a  rockaway,  saying  she  was  not  strong  enough 
to  walk  all  over  town,  and  he  wanted  her  to  see  and 
enjoy  everything  while  she  was  with  us. 

A  little  incident  will  show  the  kindness  and  tender- 
ness of  his  heart.  A  gentleman  who  spent  the  night 
with  us  was  accompanied  by  his  daughter,  but  four 
years  of  ao-e.  It  was  the  first  time  the  child  had  been 
separated  from  her  mother,  and  my  husband,  fearing 
she  might  miss  the  watchfulness  of  a  woman's  heart, 
sug-o^ested  that  she  should  be  committed  to  mv  care 
during  the  night,  but  she  clung  to  her  father.  After 
his  ffuests  had  both  sunk  into  slumber,  the  father  was 
aroused  by  some  one  leaning  over  his  little  girl  and 
drawing  the  covering  more  closely  around  her.  It 
was  only  his  thoughtful  host,  who  felt  anxious  lest  his 
little  guest  should  miss  her  mother's  guardian  care  un- 
der his  roof,  and  he  could  not  go  to  sleep  himself  until 
he  was  satisfied  that  all  was  well  with  the  child. 

In  his  home  no  man  could  have  been  more  unre- 
strained and  demonstrative,  and  ]^is  buoyancy  and 
sportiveness  were  quite  a  revelation  to  me  when  I 
became  a  sharer  in  the  privacy  of  his  inmost  life. 
These  demonstrations  and  playful  endearments  he 
kept  up  as  long  as  he  lived ;  time  seeming  only  to 
intensify  instead  of  diminishing  them. 

One  morning  he  returned  fi-om  a  very  early  artil- 
lery drill,  for  which  he  had  donned  full  regimentals. 


HIS  ABANDON    IN   HIS   OWN    HOME.  121 

as  it  was  during  commencement  time,  and  lie  never 
looked  more  noble  and  handsome  than  wiien  he  en- 
tered his  chamber,  sword  in  hand.  He  playfully  be- 
gan to  brandish  the  sword  over  his  wife's  head,  look- 
ing as  ferocious  and  terrible  as  a  veritable  Bluebeard, 
and  asking  her  if  she  was  not  afraid.  His  acting 
was  so  realistic  that,  for  a  moment,  the  timid  little 
woman  did  quail,  which  he  no  sooner  saw  than  he 
threw  down  his  sword,  and,  in  a  perfect  outburst  of 
glee,  speedily  transformed  himself  into  the  yery  an- 
tipode  of  a  wife-killer. 

He  would  often  hide  himself  behind  a  door  at  the 
sound  of  the  approaching  footstep  of  his  wife,  and 
spring  out  to  greet  her  with  a  startling  caress. 

During  the  spring  of  1859  I  was  not  well,  and  as  he 
always  wished  me  to  have  the  best  medical  attention 
the  country  afforded,  he  took  me  to  New  York  for 
treatment,  where  I  was  obliged  to  remain  several  weeks. 
As  it  was  the  time  of  his  session,  he  could  not  stay  with 
me,  so  he  had  to  return  to  his  duties  and  s})end  all 
those  weeks  by  himself.  It  was  our  first  separation, 
and  our  home  seemed  very  lonely  to  him.  p]very  day 
that  a  letter  could  make  the  trip  without  travelling  on 
Sundai/  he  was  lieard  from,  and  I  hope  that  I  do  not 
trespass  in  delicacy  or  propriety  in  permitting  others 
to  see  so  much  of  these  letters  as  will  show  the  abound- 
ing sweetness  of  his  home-life.  On  his  return,  after 
leaving  me  in  New  York,  in  March,  1859,  he  writes  : 

"  I  got  home  last  night  in  as  good  health  as  when  I 
gave  my  darling  the  last  kiss.  Hetty  and  Amy  came 
to  the  door  when  I  rang,  but  would  not  open  until  I 
gave  my  name.     They  made  much  ado  about  my  not 


J  22     LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

bringing  you  home.  Your  husband  has  a  sad  heart. 
Our  house  looks  so  deserted  without  my  esjjosa* 
Home  is  not  home  without  my  Uttle  dove.  I  love 
to  talk  to  you,  little  one,  as  though  you  were  here, 
and  tell  you  how  much  I  love  you,  but  that  will  not 
give  you  the  news.  .  .  .  During  our  absence  the  ser- 
vants appear  to  have  been  faithful,  and  I  am  well 
pleased  with  the  manner  in  which  they  discharged 
their  duties.  George  came  to  me  to-day,  saying  he 
had  filled  all  the  wood-boxes,  and  asked  permission 
to  go  fishing,  which  was  granted.  .  .  .  You  must  be 
cheerful  and  happy,  remembering  that  you  are  some- 
body's sunshine." 

"  April  27th.  All  your  fruit-trees  are  ^^ielding  fruit 
this  year.  When  George  brought  home  your  cow  this 
morning,  she  was  accompanied  by  one  fine  little  rep- 
resentative of  his  sire,  and  it  would  do  your  heart  good 
to  see  your  big  cow  and  your  little  calf,  and  to  see 
what  a  fine  prospect  there  is  for  an  abundant  sup])ly 
of  milk.  .  .  .  We  had  lettuce  for  dinner  to-day  from 
your  hot-bed.  Heretofore  I  have  been  behind  Cap- 
tain Hayden's  calendar  for  gardening,  which  he  wrote 
out  for  me;  but  this  day  brings  me  up  with  it,  and  I 
hope  hereafter  to  follow  it  closely.  I  have  arranged 
under  each  month  its  programme  for  the  different  days, 
so  I  have  but  to  look  at  the  days  of  the  month,  and 
follow  its  directions  as  they  come."  .  .  . 

*  When  in  Mexico,  he  had  become  so  familiar  with  the  Spanish 
language  that  lie  was  constantly  using  Spanish  words  and  phrases, 
especially  the  terms  of  endearment,  which  are  so  musical.  Tlius, 
his  wife  was  always  his  esposa,  or,  if  he  wished  to  use  the  dimin- 
utive, his  espoHtta  (liis  little  wife),  while  he  was  her  exposo — pet 
names  that  recur  constantly  in  his  letters. 


LETTERS   TO   HIS   WIFE.  123 

"May  7th.  I  received  only  three  letters  last  week, 
and  have  only  one  so  far  this  week,  but  '  hope  springs 
eternal  in  the  human  breast;'  so  you  see  I  am  becoming 
quite  poetical  since  listening  to  a  lecture  on  the  subject 
last  evenino:.  ...  I  send  vou  a  flower  from  vour  fjarden, 
and  could  have  sent  one  in  full  bloom,  but  I  thought 
this  one,  which  is  just  opening,  would  l)e  in  a  better 
state  of  preservation  when  my  little  dove  receives  it. 
You  must  not  give  yourself  any  concern  about  your 
esposd's  living.  .  .  .  My  little  pet,  your  husband  was 
made  very  happy  at  receiving  two  letters  from  you  and 
learning  that  you  were  improving  so  rapidly.  1  have 
more  than  once  bowed  down  on  my  knees,  and  thanked 
our  kind  and  merciful  Heavenly  Father  for  the  pros- 
pect of  restoring  you  to  health  again.  Now,  don't 
get  impatient,  and  come  off  before  you  are  entirely 
well.  .  .  .  Yesterday  Doctor  Junkin  preached  one  of 
his  masterly  sermons  on  the  sovereignty  of  God,  and, 
although  a  doctrinal  discourse,  it  was  eminently  con- 
soling ;  and  I  wish  that  you  could  have  heard  such  a 
presentation  of  the  subject.  To-day  I  rode  your  horse 
out  to  your  lot  and  saw  your  laborers.  They  are  do- 
ing good  Avork.  I  was  mistaken  about  your  large  gar- 
den fruit  being  peaches,  they  turn  out  to  be  apricots ; 
and  just  think — my  little  woman  has  a  tree  full  of 
them  !  You  must  come  home  before  they  get  ripe. 
You  have  the  greatest  show  of  flowers  I  have  seen 
this  year.  Enclosed  are  a  few  specimens.  Our  pota- 
toes are  coming  up.  We  have  had  very  uncommonly 
dry  weather  for  nearly  a  fortnight,  and  your  garden 
had  been  thirsting  for  rain  till  last  evening,  when  the 
weather  commenced  changing,  and  to-day  we  have 
had  some  rain.     Through  grace  given  me  from  above, 


124:     LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

I  felt  that  the  rain  would  come  at  the  riffht  time,  and 
I  don't  recollect  having  ever  felt  so  grateful  for  rain 
as  for  the  present  one.  .  .  .  You  must  not  be  dis- 
couraged at  the  slowness  of  recovery.  Look  up  to 
Him  who  giveth  liberally  for  faith  to  be  resigned  to 
His  divine  will,  and  trust  Him  for  that  measure  of 
health  whicli  will  most  glorify  Him  and  advance  to 
the  greatest  extent  your  own  real  happiness.  We  are 
sometimes  suffered  to  be  in  a  state  of  perplexity,  that 
our  faith  may  be  tried  and  grow  stronger.  'All 
things  work  together  for  good '  to  God's  children.  See 
if  you  cannot  spend  a  short  time  after  dark  in  looking 
out  of  your  window  into  space,  and  meditating  upon 
heaven,  with  all  its  joys  unspeakable  and  full  of  glory; 
and  think  of  what  the  Saviour  relinquished  in  glory 
when  he  came  to  earth,  and  of  his  sufferings  for  us ; 
and  seek  to  realize,  with  the  apostle,  that  the  afflictions 
of  the  present  life  are  not  worthy  to  be  compared 
with  the  glory  which  shall  be  revealed  in  us.  Try  to 
look  up  and  be  cheerful,  and  not  desponding.  Trust 
our  kind  Heavenly  Father,  and  by  the  eye  of  faith 
see  that  all  things  with  you  are  right  and  for  your 
best  interest.  The  clouds  come,  pass  over  us,  and  are 
followed  by  bright  sunshine ;  so,  in  God's  moral  deal- 
ings with  us,  he  ])ermits  us  to  have  trouble  awhile. 
But  let  us,  even  in  the  most  trying  dispensations  of 
His  providence,  be  cheered  by  the  brightness  which 
is  a  little  ahead.  Try  to  live  near  to  Jesus,  and  secure 
that  peace  which  flows  like  a  river.  You  have  your 
husband's  prayers,  sympathy,  and  love.  .  .  . 

"  I  am  so  glad  and  thankful  that  you  received  the 
draft  and  letters  in  time.  How  kind  is  God  to  His 
children !    I  feel  so  thankful  to  Him  that  He  has  blessed 


LETTERS  TO   HIS   WIFE.  125 

me  with  so  much  faith,  though  I  well  know  that  I 
have  not  that  faith  which  it  is  my  privilege  to  have. 
But  I  have  been  taught  never  to  despair,  but  to  wait, 
expecting  the  blessing  at  the  last  moment.  Such  oc- 
currences should  strengthen  our  faith  in  Him  who 
never  slumbers.  ...  I.  trust  that  our  Heavenly 
Father  is  restoring  my  darling  to  health,  and  that 
when  she  gets  home  she  will  again  be  its  sunshine. 
Your  husband  is  looking  forward  with  great  joy  to 
seeing:  her  brio^ht  little  face  in  her  own  liome  once 
more.  If  you  should  be  detained  longer,  1  will  send 
you  some  summer  clothing,  but  get  everything  that 
is  necessary  there.  I  sent  you  a  check  in  order  that 
you  may  have  ample  funds.  I  know  how  embarrass- 
ing it  is  even  to  anticipate  scarcity  of  money  when 
one  is  away  from  home.  You  are  one  darling  of  dar- 
lings, and  may  our  kind  and  merciful  Heavenly  Father 
bless  you  with  speedy  restoration  to  health  and  to 
me,  and  with  every  needful  blessing,  both  temporal 
and  spiritual,  is  my  oft-repeated  prayer.  Take  good 
care  of  my  little  dove,  and  remember  that  the  day  of 
miracles  is  past,  and  that  God  works  by  means,  and 
He  punishes  us  for  violating  his  physical  as  well  as 
His  moral  laws.  When  you  come  home,  I  want  to 
meet  you  at  Goshen  in  a  private  conveyance,  and  bring 
my  little  one  gently  over  the  rough  roads.  I  hope 
you  will  take  my  advice,  and  not  burden  yourself  by 
carrying  anything  in  your  hands,  except  your  um- 
brella and  basket.  You  are  very  precious  to  one 
somebody's  heart,  if  you  are  away  off  in  New  York. 
My  heart  is  with  my  esposita  all  the  time,  and  my 
prayers  are  for  her  safety.  How  I  wish  you  were  here 
now  to  share  with  me  the  pleasures  of  home,  our  garden, 


126  LIFE   OF   GENERAL  THOMAS  J  JACKSOX, 

and  the  surrounding  country,  which  is  clothed  in  verd- 
ure and  beauty  I  .  .  .  On  Wednesday  your  es2)oso  hopes 
to  meet  his  sunshine,  and  may  he  never  see  its  bright- 
ness obscured,  nor  its  brilliancy  diminished  by  spots !" 

The  reader  will  see  how  freely  he  useJ  the  Span- 
ish pet  names.  In  some  of  his  letters  he  would  string 
together  a  dozen  or  more  of  them  —  the  "linked 
sweetness  long  drawn  out " — at  once  in  playfulness 
and  as  the  overflow  of  a  heart  full  of  tenderness. 
But  this  sportiveness  and  buoyancy  of  temperament 
were  known  only  in  the  innermost  circle  of  his  home, 
and  from  these  sanctities  the  veil  would  never  have 
been  lifted  except  to  reveal  this  beautiful  phase  of 
his  character. 

In  the  summer  of  the  year  1859,  he  went  to  the 
White  Sulphur  Springs  for  a  fortnight,  leaving  me 
to  spend  the  time  at  the  Rockbridge  Baths.  The 
railroad  not  being  completed  at  that  time,  he  thought 
the  travel  by  stage-coach  would  be  too  fatiguing  to 
me,  but  he  felt  that  he  needed  the  mineral  waters  of 
the  White  Sulphur.  From  there  he  wrote  :  "  This  is 
a  very  beautiful  phice,  and  I  wish  very  much  that  I 
had  my  dove  here.  I  feel  that  I  must  bring  her  here 
sometime.  She  would  enjoy  it  greatly,  and  I  should 
enjoy  it  so  much  more  if  she  were  with  me.  To- 
morrow, you  know,  was  my  day  to  write,  but  I 
thought  I  would  (li'op  you  a  line  to-day,  so  that  you 
might  know  the  whereabouts  of  your  husband.  .  .  . 
I  am  tired  of  this  place,  and  Avouldn't  give  my  little 
pet  for  all  the  peo]ile  here.  I  want  to  go  and  stay 
with  my  little  woman.  As  yet  I  am  not  certain 
whether  the  waters  are  beneficial  to  me."  .  .  . 


A   SERMON   OF    DR.  TIIORNWELL.  127 

"  August  15th.  Last  night  I  enjoyed  what  I  have 
long:  desired — listening  to  a  sermon  from  the  Eev.  Dr. 
Thornwell,  of  South  Carolina.  He  opened  Avith  an 
introduction,  setting  forth  the  encouragements  and 
discouragements  under  which  he  spoke.  Among  the 
encouragements,  he  stated  that  the  good  effected  here 
would  be  widely  disseminated,  as  there  were  visitors 
from  ever}^  Southern  State.  Following  the  example 
of  the  apostle  Paul,  he  observed  that  whilst  he  felt 
an  interest  in  all,  yet  he  felt  a  special  interest  in  those 
from  his  own  State.  lie  spoke  of  the  educated  and 
accomplished  audience  it  was  his  privilege  to  address. 
After  concluding  his  introductory  remarks,  he  took 
his  text  from  Genesis,  seventeenth  chapter,  seventh 
verse,  which  he  presented  in  a  bold,  profound,  and  to 
me  original  manner.  I  felt  what  a  privilege  it  was 
to  listen  to  such  an  exposition  of  God's  truth.  He 
showed  that  in  Adam's  fall  we  had  been  raised  from 
the  position  of  servants  to  that  of  children  of  God. 
He  o-ave  a  brief  account  of  his  own  difficulties  when 
a  college  student,  in  comprehending  his  relation  to 
God.  He  represented  man  as  a  redeemed  being  at 
the  day  of  judgment,  standing  nearest  to  the  tiirone, 
the  angels  being  farther  removed.  And  why  ?  Be- 
cause his  Brother  is  sitting  upon  the  throne  he  is  a 
nearer  relation  to  Christ  than  the  angels.  And  his 
righteousness  is  superior  to  that  of  the  angels — his 
beins:  the  righteousness  of  God  himself.  I  don't  rec- 
ollect  having  ever  before  felt  such  love  to  God.  I 
was  rather  surpi-ised  at  seeing  so  much  grace  and 
gesture  in  Dr.  The )i-n well.  T  hope  and  pi-ay  that 
much  good  will  I'osult  from  this  great  exposition  of 
Bible  truth.  .  .  .  Early  yesterday  morning  the  tables  in 


128  LIFE   OF   GENERAL   THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

the  parlor  were  well  supplied  with  religious  tracts.  .  .  . 
Time  passes  more  pleasantly  here  than  I  expected, 
but  I  want  to  get  back  to  my  csjxmta,  and  I  never 
want  to  go  to  any  watering-])lace  without  her  again." 

In  the  succeeding  autumn  I  paid  a  short  visit  to 
my  father  in  North  Carolina,  and  the  following  ex- 
tracts are  from  his  letters  during  that  period  • 

...'■'•  I  am  writing  at  my  desk,  which  I  have  raised 
so  high  that  it  makes  me  stand  straight.  I  watered 
your  flowers  this  morning,  and  hoed  another  row  of 
turnips,  and  expect  to  hill  some  of  the  celery  this 
evening.  Your  old  man  at  home  is  taking  good  care 
of  one  somebody's  flower-slips,  and  they  are  looking 
very  nicely.  Yesterday  I  went  into  the  kitchen  and 
sealed  some  jars  of  tomatoes,  and  Hetty  has  put  up 
many  jars  besides,  of  plums  and  other  fi-uits,  so  that 
we  shall  be  well  supplied  this  winter.  I  hope  they 
will  keep  well.  ...  I  was  invited  a  few  days  since  to 

go  to  the  Misses  B 's  and  see  some  pagan  idols 

which  they  had  received.  They  were  mostly  ])aint- 
ings  and  some  other  devices,  but  quite  interesting. 
Among  the  various  Chinese  curiosities  (for  they  do 
not  all  refer  to  worship)  was  an  image  consisting  of 
a  man  in  miniature  in  a  sitting  posture,  with  long 
ringlets  of  hair  hanging  from  various  parts  of  the 
face.  The  statue  can  be  removed  from  the  chair  in 
which  it  sits,  and  is  the  best-finished  piece  of  work- 
manshi])  of  the  kind  that  I  ever  saw  from  a  pagan 
land.  It  was  taken  from  one  of  the  churches  in 
Canton  after  its  capture,  and  is  said  to  have  been 
worshipped. 


THK  JOHN  BROWN  RAID.  129 

"  I  liope  that  my  little  somebody  is  feeling  as 
lively  as  a  lark ;"  and  in  another  letter  he  tells  her 
that  he  wants  her  to  be  "as  happy  as  a  spring 
butterfly." 

"October  17th,  I  have  been  wishing  that  you 
could  see  our  beautiful  forests  in  their  autumnal  glory. 
I  have  been  greatly  enjoying  their  beauty,  but  my 
pleasure  would  be  much  enhanced  if  you  were  with 
me.  I  have  just  been  thinking  how  happy  you  must 
be  in  youi'  old  home,  and  it  makes  my  heart  happy 
too  to  think  of  the  happiness  of  my  little  darling." 

"  October  29th.  This  morning  I  buried  ninety-nine 
heads  of  3'our  cabbage  for  winter  use." 

It  was  in  the  fall  of  1859  that  the  celebrated  John 
Brown  raid  was  made  upon  the  government  stores  at 
Harpers  Ferry.  Brown  was  a  fanatic,  who  conceived 
the  idea  that  he  could  raise  an  insurrection  in  the 
South  and  emancipate  the  negroes.  l>ut  he  was  ar- 
rested, convicted,  and  condemned  to  execution.  Fear- 
ing that  an  attempt  might  be  made  to  rescue  him,  the 
Governor  of  Virginia,  Henry  A.  Wise,  ordered  out  the 
troops,  in  which  were  included  the  corps  of  cadets  of 
the  Virginia  Military  Institute,  and  with  their  oiBcers 
at  their  head  they  marched  to  the  place  of  rendezvous. 
The  following  extracts  from  Major  Jackson's  letters 
will  teU  the  part  he  had  to  take  in  the  affair : 

"  Charlestown,  Nov.  28th,  1859. 
"I   reached   here   last   night   in   good   health   and 
spirits.     Seven  of  us  slept  in  the  same  room.     I  am 
9 


130  LIFE   OF    GENERAL   THOMAS   J.  JACKSOX. 

much  more  pleased  than  I  expected  to  be  ;  the  people 
appear  to  be  very  kind.  There  are  about  one  thou- 
sand troops  here,  and  everything  is  quiet  so  far.  We 
don't  expect  any  trouble.  The  excitement  is  confined 
to  more  distant  points.  Do  not  giv^e  yourself  any  con- 
cern al)out  me.  I  am  comfortable,  for  a  temporary 
military  post." 

"  December  2d.  John  Brown  was  hung  to-day  at 
about  half- past  eleven  a.  m.  He  behaved  with  un- 
flinching firmness.  The  arrangements  were  well 
made  and  well  executed  under  the  direction  of  Colonel 
Smith.  The  gibbet  was  erected  in  a  large  field,  south- 
east of  the  town.  Brown  rode  on  the  head  of  his 
cotRn  from  his  prison  to  the  place  of  execution.  The 
coffin  was  of  black  walnut,  enclosed  in  a  box  of  poplar 
of  the  same  shape  as  the  coffin.  He  w^as  dressed  in 
a  black  frock-coat,  black  pantaloons,  black  vest,  black 
slouch  hat,  white  socks,  and  slippers  of  predominat- 
ing red.  There  was  nothing  around  his  neck  but  his 
shirt  collar.  The  open  wagon  in  which  he  rode  was 
strongly  guarded  on  all  sides.  Captain  AVilliams  (for- 
merly assistant  professor  at  the  Institute)  marched 
immediately  in  front  of  the  wagon.  The  jailer,  high- 
sJKM'itf,  and  several  others  rock;  in  the  same  wagon 
witii  the  prisoner.  I'rown  had  his  arms  tied  behind 
him,  and  ascended  the  scaffold  w^th  api)arent  cheer- 
fulness. After  reaching  the  top  of  the  platform,  he 
shook  hands  with  several  who  were  standing  around 
him.  The  sheriff  placed  the  rope  around  his  neck, 
then  threw  a  white  cap  over  his  head,  and  asked  him 
if  he  wished  a  signal  when  all  should  be  ready.  He 
replied  that  it  made  no  dilfcjrence,  provided  he  was  not 


EXECUTION   OF  JOHN  BROWN,  131 

kept  waiting  too  long.  In  this  condition  he  stood  for 
about  ten  minutes  on  the  trap-door,  which  was  support- 
ed on  one  side  by  hinges  and  on  the  other  (the  south 
side)  by  a  rope.  Colonel  Smith  then  announced  to  the 
sheriff  'all  ready' — which  apparently  was  not  com- 
prehended by  him,  and  the  colonel  had  to  repeat  the 
order,  when  the  rope  was  cut  by  a  single  blow,  and 
Brown  fell  through  about  five  inches,  his  knees  falling 
on  a  level  with  the  position  occupied  by  his  feet  before 
the  rope  was  cut.  With  the  fall  his  arms,  below  the 
elbows,  flew  up  horizontally,  his  hands  clinched ;  and 
his  arms  gradually  fell,  but  by  spasmodic  motions. 
There  was  very  little  motion  of  his  person  for  several 
moments,  and  soon  the  wind  blew  his  lifeless  body  to 
and  fro.  His  face,  upon  the  scaffold,  was  turned  a 
little  east  of  south,  and  in  front  of  him  were  the 
cadets,  commanded  by  Major  Gilham.  My  command 
was  still  in  front  of  the  cadets,  all  facing  south.  One 
howitzer  I  assigned  to  Mr.  Trueheart  on  the  left  of 
the  cadets,  and  with  the  other  I  remained  on  the 
right.  Other  troops  occupied  different  positions  around 
the  scaffold,  and  altogether  it  was  an  imposing  but 
very  solemn  scene.  I  was  much  impressed  with  the 
thought  that  before  me  stood  a  man  in  the  full  vigor 
of  health,  who  must  in  a  few  moments  enter  eternity. 
I  sent  up  the  petition  that  he  might  be  saved.  Awful 
was  the  thought  that  he  might  in  a  few  minutes 
receive  the  sientence,  '  Depart,  ye  Avicked,  into  ever- 
lasting fire  !'  I  hope  that  he  was  prepared  to  die,  but 
I  am  doubtful.  He  refused  to  have  a  minister  with 
him.  His  wife  visited  him  last  evening.  His  body 
was  taken  back  to  the  jail,  and  at  six  o'clock  p.  m. 
was  sent  to  his   wife  at  Harper's  Ferry.     When  it 


132  LIFE   OF   GENERAL   THOMAS   J.  JACKSON. 

arrived,  the  coffin  was  opened,  and  his  wife  saw  the 
remains,  after  which  it  was  again  opened  at  the  depot 
before  leaving  for  Baltimore,  lest  there  should  be  an 
imposition.  A\''e  leave  for  home  via  Kichmond  to- 
morrow." 

This  was  the  only  expedition  after  our  marriage  in 
which  he  accompanied  the  cadets,  until  he  took  them 
to  Richmond  at  the  opening  of  the  war,  in  obedience 
to  the  call  of  the  governor.  Several  trips  were  made 
by  the  corps  to  the  capital  and  to  Xorfolk,  to  grace 
state  occasions ;  but  at  such  times  he  always  requested 
that  he  might  be  permitted  to  have  his  holiday  at 
home,  while  he  lent  his  sword,  epaulets,  and  sashes 
to  his  brother-officers,  who  were  more  fond  of  display. 

The  next  letter  is  to  his  aunt,  Mrs.  Neale,  of  Parkers- 
burg  : 

"Lexington,  Va.,  Jan.  21st,  1860. 

"I  am  living  in  my  own  house,  I  am  thankful  to 
say,  as,  after  trying  both  public  and  private  boarding, 
I  have  learned  from  experience  that  true  comfort  is 
only  to  be  found  in  a  house  under  your  own  control. 
I  wish  you  could  pay  me  a  visit  during  some  of  your 
leisure  intervals,  if  you  ever  have  such.  This  is  a 
beautiful  country,  just  on  the  confines  of  the  Virginia 
Springs,  and  we  are  about  fourteen  miles  from  the 
Natural  Bridge.  .  .  .  What  do  you  think  about  the 
state  of  the  country  ?  Viewing  things  at  Washington 
from  human  appearances,  I  think  we  have  great  reason 
for  alarm,  but  my  trust  is  in  God  ;  and  I  cannot  think 
that  he  will  permit  the  madness  of  men  to  interfere 
so  materially  with  the  Christian  labors  of  this  country 
at  home  and  abroad." 


CHAPTER  IX. 

WAR  CLOUDS— 18G0-1 861. 

Major  Jackson's  vacation  in  the  summer  of  1860 
was  spent  in  New  England — at  Northampton,  Massa- 
chusetts. This  was  once  the  home  of  Jonathan  Ed- 
wards, and  a  large  old  elm-tree  which  was  planted 
by  him  is  still  standing  as  a  memorial  of  the  great 
American  theologian.  In  the  old  burying-ground,  a 
time-worn,  moss-covered  tombstone  bears  the  name 
of  the  saintly  David  Brainerd.  On  Round  Ilill  is  a 
hydropathic  establishment,  Avhich  attracted  Major 
Jackson  there.  The  hotel  is  built  upon  an  elevation 
overlooking  the  town — the  Connecticut  River  winding 
through  the  loveliest  of  emerald  vallej^s,  with  fine 
mountain  scenery,  embracing  Mount  Tom  and  Mount 
Holyoke  —  all  together  forming  a  landscape  which 
Jenny  Lind  thought  one  of  the  most  beautiful  she 
had  seen  in  America, 

The  climate  also  is  bracing  and  delightful,  and  there 
was  much  to  contribute  to  our  enjoyment,  notwith- 
standing the  inhospitable  elements  which  Southerners 
felt  in  the  North  at  that  time  of  great  political  ex- 
citement. As  it  was  the  summer  before  Mr.  Lincoln's 
election,  Major  Jackson  heard  and  saw  enough  to 
awaken  his  fears  that  it  might  portend  civil  war ;  but 
he  had  no  dispute  with  those  who  differed  from  him, 
treating  all  politely,  and  made  some  pleasant  acquaint- 


134  LIFE  OF   GENERAL   THOMAS   J.  JACKSON. 

ances,  among  them  a  Baptist  minister,  wbo  often 
joined  us  in  our  walks,  when  the  conversations  were 
always  friendly.  To  our  surprise,  one  day  the  wife 
of  a  gentleman  from  ISouth  (Jurolina  repoi-ted  that 
her  husband  had  had  a  violent  political  dispute  with 
this  same  minister,  whom  we  had  found  so  courteous. 
Although  he  was  an  abolitionist,  and  Major  Jackson 
was  a  slave-holder,  each  had  recognized  in  the  other 
enough  to  be  a  bond  of  union,  and  their  pleasant  re- 
lations continued  as  long  as  they  remained  together. 

In  front  of  the  hotel  was  a  large  grove  of  forest 
trees,  under  which  w^ere  seats  here  and  there,  and 
we  literally  lived  out  of  doors.  In  strolling  through 
this  grove  w'e  came  upon  a  reservoir,  which  we  ex- 
pected to  see  filled  with  water,  but  to  our  surprise  it 
was  dr}^,  and  upon  the  floor  were  gambolling  a  large 
number  of  tame  rabbits,  w^hite,  brown,  and  spotted, 
and  guinea-pigs  of  all  sizes  and  ages  —  a  sight  that 
was  quite  an  attraction  to  the  guests  of  the  hotel. 
The  little  animals  w^ere  the  pets  of  the  children  of  the 
proprietor,  and  the  old  reservoir,  having  been  aban- 
doned for  a  much  larger  one,  made  a  secure  and  ex- 
cellent home  for  the  })retty  creatures.  In  these  peace- 
ful surroundings  Major  Jackson's  health  improved 
wonderfidly ;  the  baths  with  the  exercise  gave  in- 
creased fulness  as  welt  as  vigor  to  his  manly  frame. 
I  too  was  greatly  benefited  by  this  novel  treatnuMit. 
I  had  gone  there  witliout  a  particle  of  faith  in 
hydropatiiy,  but  as  I  was  not  strong,  my  iiushand 
persuaded  me  to  try  it,  and  it  w^as  astonishing  how 
rapidly  my  strength  developed.  From  not  being  able 
to  walk  a  mile  upon  my  arrival,  by  degrees  I  came 
to  walking  five  miles  a  day  with  ease,  and  kept  it  up 


LETTERS  FROM   HOME.  135 

until  my  departure.  Indeed,  I  proved  such  an  en- 
couraging subject  to  the  skill  of  the  doctor  that  at 
his  suggestion,  but  sorely  against  my  own  will,  I  was 
left  behind  for  a  month  after  my  husband  had  to  re- 
turn to  his  professorial  duties.  But  he  "  reported  " 
to  me  as  regularly  as  if  I  were  his  superior  officer, 
though  not  exactly  in  military  style,  but  after  his  do- 
mestic fashion  : 

"  Little  one,  I  must  tell  you  what  is  in  your  gar- 
den. First  and  foremost,  there  is  a  very  long  row  of 
celery :  this  is  due  to  Hetty,  and  I  told  her  that  as 
she  had  succeeded  so  well  I  wouldn't  touch  its  cult- 
ure ;  though  when  it  comes  upon  the  table,  and  my 
little  pet  is  here  to  enjoy  it  with  me,  I  do  not  expect 
to  be  so  chary  of  it.  You  have  also  Lima  beans,  snap 
beans,  carrots,  parsnij^s,  salsify,  onions,  cabbage,  tur- 
nips, beets,  potatoes,  and  some  inferior  muskmelons. 
Now,  do  you  think  you  have  enough  vegetal)les  ?  I 
am  just  thinking  and  thinking  about  that  little  some- 
body away  up  there."' 

When  the  time  arrived  for  me  to  return,  he  would 
have  come  for  me,  but  he  was  so  conscientious  about 
his  duty  that  he  would  not  leave  his  chair  even  for  a 
single  day,  except  in  case  of  absolute  necessity,  and  so 
he  writes  : 

"September  25tli,  1860. 

"  In  answer  to  your  question  how  you  are  to  come, 
I  should  say,  with  your  husband,  if  no  other  arrange- 
ment can  be  effected.  If  you  don't  meet  with  an 
opportunity  of  an  escort  to  Kew  York  or  farther,  see 
if  the  doctor  can't  get  you  one  to  Springfield,  upon 


136     LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

the  condition  that  you  pay  the  expense.  I  don't 
want  you  to  pass  through  Springfield  alone,  as  you 
have  to  change  cars  there,  and  you  might  meet  witli 
some  accident ;  but  as  visitors  invite  the  doctor  to 
make  excursions  with  them,  can't  you  invite  him  to 
malvc  one  with  you  to  Springfield,  and  after  he  sees 
you  on  the  right  train,  sit  in  the  same  car  until  you 
reach  the  depot  in  New  York,  where  you  may  expect 
to  find  your  esposo  waiting  for  you  ?  Be  sure  to  write, 
and  also  telegraph,  as  I  would  rather  go  all  the  way 
to  Round  Hill  than  for  you  to  come  through  Spring- 
field alone.  Your  husband  feels  bright,  and  the  light 
of  his  approaching  little  sunshine  makes  him  still 
brighter.  Whenever  you  write  or  telegraph  for  him, 
you  may  expect  him  to  come  for  you  in  double-quick 
time." 

Having  arranged  for  my  escort  to  a  place  within 
driving  distance  of  Lexington,  he  sends  a  last  mes- 
sage: 

"  September  28th.  I  expect  to  set  off  with  your 
rockaway  and  "Bay,"  and  you  must  not  be  left  behind. 
You  may  expect  to  have  your  dinner  sent  from  home, 
so  that  in  our  homeward  drive  you  can  eat  your  own 
dinner." 

In  February,  1861,  I  left  him  again  for  a  brief 
period,  to  attend  the  wedding  of  my  sister  Susan,  who 
married  Mr.  A.  C  Avery,  afterwards  a  Justice  of  the 
Supreme  Court  of  North  Carolina.  A  few  extracts 
will  show  the  character  of  the  letters  that  followed 
me  on  this  trip  : 


LETTERS  FROM   HOME.  I37 

"  Home,  February  18th,  1861.  My  precious  little 
darling,  your  husband  has  returned  from  the  Insti- 
tute, had  his  dinner  all  alone,  and  feels  sad  enough 
this  afternoon  ;  but  I  trust  that  my  little  pet  has  had 
a  pleasant  day's  travel,  and  that  the  kind  ]:)rovidence 
of  God  has  kept  her  from  all  accident  and  danger, 
and  has  spread  out  before  her  many  enjoyments.  I 
hope  that  you  will  be  greatly  prospered  during  all 
your  absence.  The  day  here  has  been  very  change- 
able, alternating  between  sunshine  and  snow.  I  hope 
the  Kichmond  weather  is  better,  for  I  have  been 
thinking  you  might  be  too  much  exposed  in  shopping. 
However,  I  hope  you  have  taken  a  carriage,  if  neces- 
sary, and  have  taken  good  care  of  my  little  one." 

..."  19th.  My  darling  pet,  your  husband  feels  a 
loneliness  for  which  he  can  hardly  account,  but  he 
knows  if  his  darling  were  here  he  wouldn't  feel  thus. 
I  have  been  busy,  but  still  the  feeling  exists.  I  fol- 
low you  in  mind  and  heart,  and  think  of  you  at  the 
different  points  of  your  route." 

"  23d.  I  was  very  thankful  to  our  kind  Heavenly 
Father  for  his  protecting  care  extended  over  my  little 
pet,  as  stated  in  your  letter.  I  do  delight  to  receive 
letters  from  my  little  woman.  If  Sue  is  approach- 
able on  the  Avery  question,  tell  her  she  must  be  very 
litigious  if  she  finds  it  necessary  to  engage  the  ser- 
vices of  a  member  of  the  legal  profession  for  life  ! 
Tell  her  we  have  them  here  from  a  mere  tyro  up  to  a 
judge  of  the  Federal  court,  though  do  not  mention  the 
subject  to  her  if  you  think  it  would  be  at  all  unpleasant. 

"  On    Saturday   I    sent    your    boy,    George,    with 


138  LIFE   OF   GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

your  horse  and  wagon  down  to  Thompson's  landing, 
and  brought  up  a  barrel  of  nice  Richmond  sweet  pota- 
toes. I  have  laid  aside  the  best,  and  hope  they  Avill 
keep  till  my  little  pet  gets  home. 

"  What  think  you  ?  I  went  down  to  your  hen- 
house 3"esterday  evening,  pursuant  to  orders,  and,  look- 
ing into  the  nests,  found  nine  fresh  eggs  besides  the 
Deaver  [a  porcelain  egg  bought  of  a  man  of  that 
name],  and,  appropriating  eight  of  them,  I  returned, 
leaving  one  in  each  nest." 

"  Feb.  27th.  This  is  a  beautiful  day  here,  and  I  have 
been  thinking:  how  blissful  Sue's  married  life  will  be 
if  her  bridal  day  is  its  true  emblem.  .  .  .  We  had 
quite  a  treat  last  night  in  the  performance  of  a  com- 
pany in  Druidical  costumes,  making  exquisite  music 
upon  instruments  constructed  of  ox-horns,  copied  from 
the  Druidical  instruments  in  the  British  Museum." 

"  March  16th.  Amy  has  gone  to  grace  the  wedding 
of  one  of  her  colored  friends  by  her  imposing  presence. 

George  left  for  C 's  on  the  morning  of  March  1st, 

and  I  haven't  seen  his  delectable  face  since.  I  am 
thankful  to  say  that  everything  is  Avorking  well  at 
home.  I  expect  to  continue  sending  you  letters  as 
long  as  you  stay  away.  You  had  better  come  home  if 
you  want  to  stop  this  corres]K)ndeiice.  I  have  been 
working  to-day  at  your  garden  fence  to  keep  your 
chickens  out,  and  also  to  prevent  egress  and  ingress 
between  our  garden  and  that  of  Senor  Deaver. 

"Your  peas  are  just  beginning  to  make  their  appear- 
ance above  ground.  .  .  .  The  colored  Sabbath-school 
is  greatly  blessed  in  numbers  and  teachers,  and  is  do- 


SOUTHERN   FEELING   FOR   SKCESSION.  I39 

ing  a  good  work.  .  .  .  Your  friends  here  remember 
my  darling  with  much  interest." 

During  this  visit  of  mine  to  North  Carohna,  I  was 
surprised  to  find  the  people  of  that  State  almost  unani- 
mous for  secession,  for  in  my  Virginia  home  the  feel- 
ins"  was  verv  much  the  reverse.  After  the  election 
of  Mr.  Lincoln,  South  Carolina  had  boldly  led  off 
in  withdrawing-  from  the  Union,  and  was  followed 
by  one  after  another  of  her  sister  States  in  solemn 
procession — including  Mississippi,  Alabama,  Florida, 
Georgia,  Louisiana,  and  Texas.  Afterwards  all  the 
Southern  States,  except  Kentucky,  which  remained 
neutral,  followed  suit ;  and  on  the  9th  of  February, 
1861,  the  first  seven  States  formed  a  Confederacy,  and 
established  a  provisional  government  at  Montgomery, 
Alabama.  Jefferson  Davis  was  chosen  Presidsnt,  and 
Alexander  H,  Stephens  Vice-President. 

At  this  time  Major  Jackson  was  strongly  for  the 
Union,  but  at  the  same  time  he  was  a  firm  States'- 
rights  man.  In  politics  he  had  always  been  a  Dem- 
ocrat, but  he  was  never  a  very  strong  partisan,  and 
took  no  part  in  the  political  contest  of  1860,  except 
to  cast  his  vote  for  John  C.  Breckinrido^e,  l)elievino; 
that  his  election  would  do  more  to  save  the  Union 
than  that  of  any  other  candidate.  He  never  was  a 
secessionist,  and  maintained  that  it  was  better  for  the 
South  to  fight  for  her  rights  in  the  Union  than  out  of 
it.  The  grand  old  State  of  Virginia,  whose  sons  had 
done  more  than  those  of  any  other  State  to  form  the 
Constitution  which  drew  all  the  States  under  one  gen- 
eral government,  Avas  reluctant  to  withdraw  from  it, 
and  was  among  the  last  of  the  Southern  States  to 


140     LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

secede.  South  Carolina,  after  her  secession,  urgently 
solicited  the  Federal  government  for  an  equitable 
settlement  of  the  rights  she  claimed  as  a  State,  and 
especially  demanded  the  possession  of  Fort  Sumter  as 
her  only  fort  for  her  local  protection.  In  reply  to 
this  the  governor  of  the  State  was  informed  by  the 
United  States  government  that  the  garrison  of  the 
fort  would  be  reinforced — "  peaceably  if  they  could, 
forcibly  if  they  must."  This  was  regarded  by  the 
spirited  secessionists  as  a  call  to  arms,  and  they  im- 
mediately bombarded  Fort  Sumter,  which  in  a  short 
time  was  reduced  to  ruins.  President  Lincoln  then 
issued  a  proclamation,  calling  upon  the  States  to  fur- 
nish seventy-five  thousand  men  to  put  down  what  he 
assumed  to  be  a  "  rebellion  "  against  the  only  author- 
ized government  of  the  country. 

A^irginia  now  hesitated  no  longer.  On  the  ITth  of 
April  she  seceded,  and  immediately  began  prepara- 
tions for  the  struggle  which  was  inevitable.  After 
the  threat  of  coercion  on  the  part  of  the  North,  the 
South  became  almost  a  unit,  and  the  enthusiasm  with 
which  men  of  all  ages  and  classes  rushed  to  arms  was 
only  equalled  by  that  of  the  women  at  home. 

With  his  high  sense  of  duty  and  devotion  to  his 
State,  Major  Jackson  had  been  deeply  impressed  by 
the  startling  course  of  events,  which  had  developed  in 
such  rapid  succession.  Some  weeks  before  A''irginia 
cast  in  her  lot  with  the  Southern  Confederacy,  a 
Peace  Conference  had  been  held  in  Washington  to 
devise  some  terms  of  mutual  concession.  The  Gen- 
eral Assembly  of  Virginia  hud  proposed  this  effort  at 
conciliation,  ami  delegates  wore  sent  from  l)oth  the 
Free  and  the  Slave  States,  but  all  their  attempts  proved 


APPREHENSIONS    OF   WAR.  141 

vain.  After  the  failure  of  this  Peace  Conference, 
Major  Jackson  called  upon  his  pastor  and  expressed 
these  views:  "If  the  general  government  should  per- 
sist in  the  measures  now  threatened,  there  must  be 
war.  It  is  painful  to  discover  with  what  unconcern 
they  speak  of  war,  and  threaten  it.  They  do  not 
know  its  horrors.  I  have  seen  enough  of  it  to  make 
me  look  upon  it  as  the  sum  of  all  evils."  (However  it 
may  surprise  those  who  knew  him  only  as  a  soldier, 
yet  it  is  true  that  I  never  heard  any  man  express 
such  utter  abhorrence  of  war.  I  shall  never  forget 
how  he  once  exclaimed  to  me,  with  all  the  intensity  of 
his  nature,  "  Oh,  how  I  do  deprecate  war !")  "  Should 
the  step  be  taken  which  is  now  threatened,  we  shall 
have  no  other  alternative;  we  must  light.  But  do 
you  not  think  that  all  the  Christian  people  of  the 
land  could  be  induced  to  unite  in  a  concert  of  prayer 
to  avert  so  great  an  evil  I  It  seems  to  me  that  if 
they  would  thus  unite  in  prayer,  war  might  be  prevent- 
ed and  peace  preserved."  His  pastor  fully  concurred 
with  him,  and  promised  to  do  his  utmost  to  bring 
about  the  concert  of  prayer  he  proposed.  "  Mean- 
time," said  he,  "  let  us  agree  thus  to  pra3^"  In  his 
public  prayers  after  this,  his  most  fervent  petition 
was  that  God  would  preserve  the  whole  land  from 
the  evils  of  war. 

But  while  the  storm  was  gathering  which  was  soon 
to  burst  with  such  fury,  Jackson  exhibited  no  undue 
anxiety — praying  only  the  more  importunately,  if  it 
were  God's  will,  that  it  might  be  averted,  and  that  the 
whole  land  might  be  at  peace. 

In  a  conversation  with  a  friend  he  described  the 
demoralization  of  civil  strife  upon  a  nation,  which  has 


142     LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

since  seemed  sadly  prophetic  of  the  very  evils  that 
have  come  upon  the  country.  But  his  absolute  trust 
in  the  Ruler  of  all  things  kept  him  from  the  agitation 
and  fear  which  weighed  so  heavily  upon  others.  At 
this  time  the  Eev.  Dr.  J.  B.  Ramsey  visited  him  and 
thus  describes  his  frame  of  mind: 

"  Walking  with  God  in  prayer  and  holy  obedience, 
he  reposed  upon  His  promises  and  providence  with  a 
calm  and  unflinching  reliance  beyond  any  man  I  ever 
knew.  I  shall  never  forget  the  manner  and  tone  of 
surprise  and  child-like  confidence  with  which  he  once 
spoke  to  me  on  this  subject.  It  was  soon  after  the 
election  in  1860,  when  the  country  was  beginning  to 
heave  with  the  agony  and  throes  of  dissolution.  We 
had  just  risen  from  morning  prayers  in  his  own  house, 
where  at  that  time  I  was  a  guest.  Filled  with  gloom, 
I  was  lamenting  in  strong  language  the  condition  and 
prospects  of  our  beloved  country.  'Why,'  said  he, 
'  should  Christians  be  disturbed  about  the  dissolution 
of  the  Union  ?  It  can  come  only  by  God's  permis- 
sion, and  will  only  be  permitted  if  for  His  people's 
good  ;  for  does  He  not  say,  "  All  things  work  together 
for  good  to  them  that  love  God  ?"  I  cannot  see  how 
we  should  be  distressed  about  such  things,  whatever 
be  their  consequences.'  That  faith  nothing  could 
shake,  because  he  dwelt  in  the  secret  place  of  the 
Most  High,  under  the  pavilion  of  the  Almighty.'" 

It  has  been  said  that  General  Jackson  ''fought 
for  slavery  and  the  Southern  Confederacy  with  the 
unshaken  conviction  that  both  were  to  endure." 
Tiiis  statement  is  true  with  regard  to  the  latter, 
but  I  am  very  confident  that  he  would  never  have 
fought  for  the  sole  object  of  perpetuating  slavery.     It 


NOT  TO   PERPETUATE   SLAVERY.  I43 

was  for  her  constitutional  rights  that  the  South  resist- 
ed the  North,  and  slavery  was  only  comprehended 
amonff  those  rights.  Pie  found  the  institution  a  re- 
sponsible  and  troublesome  one,  and  I  have  heard  him 
say  that  he  would  prefer  to  see  the  negroes  free,  but 
he  believed  that  the  Bible  taught  that  slavery  was 
sanctioned  by  the  Creator  himself,  who  maketli  men 
to  differ,  and  instituted  laws  for  the  bond  and  the  free. 
He  therefore  accepted  slavery,  as  it  existed  in  tlie 
Southern  States,  not  as  a  thing  desirable  in  itself,  but 
as  allo\yed  by  Providence  for  ends  which  it  was  not 
his  business  to  determine.  At  the  same  time,  the 
negroes  had  no  truer  friend,  no  greater  benefactor. 
Those  who  were  servants  in  his  own  house  he  treated 
with  the  greatest  kindness,  and  never  was  more  happ  r 
or  more  devoted  to  any  work  than  that  of  teaching 
the  colored  children  in  his  Sunday-school. 

At  the  time  that  the  clouds  of  Avar  Avere  about  to 
burst  over  the  land,  the  Presbytery  of  Lexington  held 
its  Spring  meeting  in  the  church  which  Major  Jackson 
attended.  These  ecclesiastical  gatherings,  with  their 
interesting  religious  services  and  preaching,  and  the 
pleasant  hospitalities  incident  to  them,  Avere  regarded 
in  Virginia  as  seasons  of  special  social  and  religious 
privilege  and  enjoj'ment.  Major  Jackson  Avas  enter- 
taining some  of  the  members  of  this  body,  but  owing 
to  the  intense  political  excitement  in  the  town,  and 
the  constant  demands  made  upon  him  in  military  mat- 
ters, he  found  but  little  time  to  give  to  his  guests,  and, 
still  more  to  his  disappointment,  none  to  the  services 
of  the  sanctuary.  The  cadets  were  Avild  Avith  youth- 
ful ardor  at  the  prospect  of  war,  and  the  citizens  were 
forming  volunteer  companies,  drilling  and  equipping 


144     LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

to  enter  the  service.  Major  Jackson's  practical  wis- 
dom and  energy  were  much  sought  after,  and  inspired 
hope  and  confidence.  While  the  Presbytery  was  still 
in  session,  came  the  dreaded  news  from  Richmond 
that  Virginia  had  seceded  from  the  Union,  and  cast  in 
her  lot  with  the  Southern  Confederacy.  This  was  the 
death-knell  of  the  last  hope  of  peace. 

The  governor  of  the  State,  "  honest  John  Letcher," 
as  he  was  called,  notified  the  superintendent  of  the 
Institute  that  he  should  need  the  services  of  the 
more  advanced  classes  of  the  cadets  as  drill-masters, 
and  they  must  be  prepared  to  go  to  Richmond  at 
a  moment's  notice,  under  the  command  of  Major 
Jackson. 

Having  been  almost  entirely  absorbed  all  tlie  Aveek 
with  his  military  occupations,  to  the  excUision  of  liis 
attendance  upon  a  single  church  service,  which  he  had 
so  much  desired,  he  expressed  the  earnest  hope,  on  re- 
tiring late  Saturday  night,  that  the  call  to  Richmond 
would  not  come  before  Monday,  and  that  he  might  be 
permitted  to  spend  a  quiet  Sabbath,  without  any  men- 
tion of  politics,  or  the  impending  troubles  of  the  coun- 
try, and  enjoy  the  privilege  once  more  of  commun- 
ing with  God  and  His  people  in  His  sanctuary.  But 
Heaven  ordered  it  otherwise. 

About  the  dawn  of  that  Sabbath  morning,  April 
21st,  our  door-bell  rang,  and  the  order  came  that 
Major  Jackson  should  bring  the  cadets  to  Richmond 
immediately.  "Without  waiting  for  breakfast,  he  re- 
paired at  once  to  the  Institute,  to  make  arrangemonts 
as  speedily  as  possible  for  marching,  but  finding  that 
several  liours  of  preparation  would  necessarily  be 
required,  he  appointed  the  hour  for  starting  at  one 


TAKING   LEAVE   OF   HIS   HOME.  I45 

o'clock  P.  M.  He  sent  a  message  to  liis  pastor,  Dr. 
White,  requesting  him  to  come  to  the  barracks  and 
offer  a  prayer  with  the  command  before  its  departure. 
All  the  morning  he  was  engaged  at  the  Institute,  al- 
lo\ving  himself  only  a  short  time  to  return  to  his 
home  about  eleven  o'clock,  wdien  he  took  a  hurried 
breakfast,  and  completed  a  few  necessary  preparations 
for  his  journey.  Then,  in  the  privacy  of  our  chamber, 
he  took  his  Bible  and  read  that  beautiful  chapter  in 
Corinthians  beginning  with  the  sublime  hope  of  the 
resurrection — '"  For  we  know  that  if  our  earthly  house 
of  this  tabernacle  be  dissolved,  we  have  a  building  of 
God,  a  house  not  made  with  hands,  eternal  in  the 
heav^ens;''  and  then,  kneeling  down,  he  committed  him- 
self and  her  whom  he  loved  to  the  protecting  care  of 
his  Father  in  heaven.  Never  was  a  prayer  more  fer- 
vent, tender,  and  touching.  His  voice  was  so  choked 
with  emotion  that  he  could  scarcely  utter  the  words, 
and  one  of  his  most  earnest  petitions  was  that  "if  con- 
sistent with  His  will,  God  would  still  avert  the  threat- 
ening danger  and  grant  us  peace !"  So  great  was  his 
desire  for  peace  that  he  cherished  the  hope  that  the 
political  difficulties  might  be  adjusted  without  blood- 
shed, until  he  was  convinced  by  stern  reality  that  this 
hope  was  vain.  Although  he  went  forth  so  bravely 
from  his  cherished  and  beloved  home,  with  a  firm 
trust  in  God,  yet  he  hoped  confidently  to  be  permit- 
ted to  return  again.  His  faith  in  the  success  of  the 
cause  of  the  South,  which  he  believed  to  be  a  right- 
eous one,  never  wavered  to  the  end  of  his  life ;  and  if 
he  ever  had  a  thought  that  he  should  not  survive  the 
struggle,  it  was  neve?  expressed  to  his  wife.  Ah ! 
how  the  liglit  went  out  of  his  home  when  he  depart- 
10 


146     LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

ed  from  it  on  that  beautiful  spring  day !  But  in  the 
painful  separation  it  was  well  for  us  that  we  could 
not  know  that  this  was  the  final  breaking-up  of  our 
happy  home,  and  that  his  footstep  was  never  again  to 
cross  its  threshold ! 

When  Dr.  White  went  to  the  Institute  to  hold  the 
short  religious  service  which  Major  Jackson  requested, 
the  latter  told  him  the  command  would  march  pre- 
cisely at  one  o'clock,  and  the  minister,  knowing  his 
punctuality,  made  it  a  point  to  close  the  service  at  a 
quarter  before  one.  Everything  was  then  in  readi- 
ness, and  after  waiting  a  few  moments  an  officer  ap- 
proached Major  Jackson  and  said  :  "  Major,  every- 
thing is  now  ready.  May  we  not  set  out?"  The 
only  reply  he  made  was  to  point  to  the  dial-plate  of 
the  barracks  clock,  and  not  until  the  hand  pointed  to 
the  hour  of  one  was  his  voice  heard  to  ring  out  the 
order,  "  Forward,  march !" 

From  this  time  forth  the  life  of  my  husband  be- 
longed to  his  beloved  Southern  land,  and  his  private 
life  becomes  public  history. 

After  he  had  taken  his  departure  for  the  army,  our 
home  grew  more  lonely  and  painful  to  me  from  day 
to  day,  and  at  the  invitation  of  a  fi'iend,  Mrs.  William 
N.  Page  (one  of  the  best  and  noblest  of  women,  wlio 
had  been  as  a  mother  to  me  during  all  my  residence  in 
Lexington),  I  went  to  her  house  and  remained  until 
my  husband  lost  all  hope  of  an  early  return,  when  he 
advised  me  to  go  to  the  home  of  my  father  in  North 
Carolina.  I  had  not  a  relative  in  Lexington,  but  kind 
friends  did  all  in  their  power  to  prevent  my  feeling 
this  need,  and  all  hearts  were  drawn  together  in  one 
common  bond  of  trial   and  anxiety,  for   there   was 


RETURN   TO   MY   J'ATHER'S   HOUSE.  147 

scarcely  a  Lousehold  upon  which  had  not  fallen  a  part, 
at  least,  of  the  same  weight  of  sadness  and  desolation 
which  flooded  my  own  home.  It  was  a  time  of  keen 
anguish  and  fearful  apprehension  to  us  wdiose  loved 
ones  had  gone  forth  in  such  a  perilous  and  desperate 
undertaking,  but  one  feeling  seemed  to  pervade  every 
heart,  that  it  was  a  just  and  righteous  cause ;  and  our 
hope  was  in  God,  who  "  could  save  by  many  or  by 
few,"  and  to  Him  the  Christian  people  of  the  South 
looked  and  prayed.  That  so  many  united  and  fervent 
prayers  should  have  been  offered  in  vain  is  one  of 
those  mysteries  which  can  never  be  fathomed  by  finite 
minds.  The  mighty  Ruler  of  the  nations  saw  fit  to 
give  victory  to  the  strong  arm  of  power,  and  He 
makes  no  mistakes.  But  for  two  years  I  was  buoyed 
up  by  hope,  which  was  strengthened  by  my  husband's 
cheerfulness  and  courageous  trust;  and  when  he  be- 
came more  and  more  useful  in  the  service  of  his 
country,  I  felt  that  God  had  a  work  for  him  to  ac- 
complish, and  my  trust  and  prayers  grew  more  con- 
fident that  his  precious  life  would  be  spared  through- 
out the  war.  It  was  well  that  I  could  not  foresee  the 
future.  It  was  in  mercy  that  He  who  knew  the  end 
from  the  beginning  did  not  lift  the  veil. 


CHAPTER  X. 

HARPER'S  FERRY— 1861. 

After  marching  to  Staunton,  the  cadets  were  trans- 
ported by  rail  to  Kichmond.  The  day  after  their  de- 
parture, while  they  were  still  en  route,  and  had  stopped 
for  a  short  time,  Major  Jackson  Avrote  as  follows  : 

"April  22d,  1861.  My  little  darhng,  the  command 
left  Staunton  on  a  special  train  at  about  a  quarter-past 
ten  this  morning.  We  are  now  stopping  for  a  short 
time  on  the  eastern  slope  of  the  Blue  Ridge.  The 
train  will  hardly  reach  Richmond  before  night.  The 
war  spirit  here,  as  well  as  at  other  points  of  the  line, 
is  intense.  The  cars  had  scarcely  stopped  before  a  re- 
quest was  made  that  I  would  leave  a  cadet  to  drill  a 

company." 

"Richmond,  23d. 

..."  The  cadets  are  encamped  on  the  Fair  grounds, 
which  is  about  a  mile  and  a  half  out  of  the  cit}^  on 
the  left  side  of  the  road.  We  have  excellent  quar- 
ters. Colonel  Robert  E.  Lee  of  the  army  is  here,  and 
has  been  made  major-general.  This  I  regard  as  of 
more  value  to  us  than  to  have  General  Scott  as  com- 
mander ;  as  it  is  understood  that  General  Lee  is  to  be 
our  commander-in-chief,  and  I  regard  him  as  a  better 
officer  than  General  Scott  So  far  as  we  hear,  God  is 
crowning  our  cause  with  success,  but  I  don't  wish  to 


AVitlow  (,f  "  Stonewall"'  Jackson. 


TROOPS   (JATIIERING   AT   RICHMOND.  149 

send  rumors  to  you.  I  will  try  to  give  facts  as  they 
become  known,  though  I  may  not  have  time  to  write 
more  than  a  line  or  so.  The  governor  and  others  hold- 
ing responsible  offices  have  not  enough  time  for  their 
duties,  they  are  so  enormous  at  this  date." 

"Fair  Grounds,  24th. 
..."  I  am  unable  to  give  you  the  information  I 
w^ould  like  respecting  things  here.  The  State  troops 
are  constantly  arriving.  The  Fair  grounds  are  to  be 
made  the  place  for  a  school  of  practice.  William  [my 
brother,  Major  W.  W.  Morrison,  who  had  held  an  office 
under  the  United  States  government]  passed  through 
to-day  on  his  way  home,  and  looks  very  well.  He  says 
there  is  great  uneasiness  at  AVashington.  •  His  resigna- 
tion was  accepted,  although  they  desired  him  to  re- 
main. Major-General  Lee  is  commander-in-chief  of  all 
the  land  and  naval  forces  in  the  State." 

"  25th.  The  scene  here,  my  darling  pet,  looks  (juite 
animated.  Troops  are  continually  arriving.  Yester- 
day about  seven  hundred  came  in  from  South  Caro- 
lina. ...  I  received  your  precious  letter,  in  which 
you  speak  of  coming  here  in  the  event  of  my  remain- 
ing. I  would  like  very  much  to  see  my  sweet  little 
face,  but  my  darling  had  better  remain  at  her  own 
home,  as  my  continuance  here  is  very  uncertain." 

While  in  Richmond  he  applied  himself  diligently  to 
the  drilling  and  discipline  of  the  masses  of  untrained 
soldiers  that  were  pouring  into  the  city.  One  day  a 
raw  recruit,  seeing  by  his  uniform  that  he  was  an  offi- 
cer, accosted  him,  and  begged  that  he  would  give  him 


150     LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

some  instruction  as  to  his  duties.  He  had  just  been 
assigned  as  corporal  of  the  guard  for  the  day,  and  was 
in  total  ignorance  of  what  was  required  of  him,  his 
suj)erior  officer,  probably  as  ignorant  as  himself,  not 
having  explained  what  he  was  to  do.  Major  Jackson 
at  once  went  with  him  around  the  whole  circuit  of  sen- 
try posts,  taught  him  all  the  "salutes,"  the  "chal- 
lenges," and  every  detail  of  his  position  ;  and  the  sol- 
dier was  so  im})ressed  with  his  knowledge,  and  so 
grateful  for  his  kindness,  that  he  was  heard  to  say  that 
"  he  should  al  waj^s  respect  that  man.''''  It  was  this  read- 
iness to  do  all  in  his  power  for  others  that  gave  him 
such  a  strong  hold  upon  the  hearts  of  his  soldiers. 

Of  course,  he  was  anxious  to  begin  active  duty  in 
some  position  worthy  of  his  skill  and  experience ; 
but  his  first  appointment  was  a  disappointment  to 
him,  being  in  the  engineer  department  with  the  rank 
of  major.  It  was  distasteful  to  him,  because  he  felt 
that  he  could  not  render  as  much  service  in  it  as  by 
more  active  service  in  the  field.  Some  of  his  friends 
saw  that  the  appointment  was  not  one  suited  to  him, 
and  at  their  request  the  Executive  War  Council  with- 
drew it,  and  he  received  a  commission  as  colonel  of 
the  Virginia  forces,  and  was  ordered  to  take  command 
at  Harper's  Ferry.  The  day  after  receiving  his  com- 
mission, which  was  the  2Tth  of  April,,  when  it  was  read 
out  in  the  Convention  for  confirmation,  a  member  of 
that  body  inquired,  "  "Who  is  this  Major  Jackson,  that 
we  are  asked  to  commit  to  him  so  responsible  a  post?" 
"  He  is  one,"  replied  the  member  from  Itockbridge, 
Hon.  S.  McD.  Moore,  "  who,  if  you  order  him  to  hold 
a  post,  will  never  leave  it  alive  to  be  occuj)ied  by  the 
enemy." 


TAKES  COMMAND  AT   HARPER'S  FERRY.  151 

His  next  letter  was  from  Winchester,  dated  April 

27tli : 

"  I  came  from  Richmond  yesterday,  and  expect  to 
leave  here  about  half-past  two  o'clock  this  afternoon 
for  Harper's  Ferry.  On  last  Saturday  the  Governor 
handed  me  my  commission  as  Colonel  of  Virginia  Vol- 
unteers, the  post  which  I  prefer  above  all  others,  and 
has  given  me  an  independent  command.  Little  one, 
you  must  not  expect  to  hear  from  me  very  often,  as  I 
*expect  to  have  more  work  than  I  have  ever  had  in  the 
same  length  of  time  before ;  but  don't  be  concerned 
about  your  husband,  for  our  kind  Heavenly  Father 
will  give  every  needful  aid." 

The  first  news  from  him  after  reaching  Harper's 
Ferry  was  simply  a  line  of  Spanish,  expressing  all  the 
love  of  his  heart.  The  second  was  not  much  longer, 
but  in  it  he  said :  "  I  am  very  much  gratified  with  my 
command,  and  would  rather  have  this  post  than  any 
other  in  the  State.  I  am  in  tolerable  health,  probably 
a  little  better  than  usual,  if  I  had  enough  sleep.  I 
haven't  time  now  to  do  more  than  to  tell  you  how 
much  I  love  you." 

"  May  3d.  I  feel  better  this  morning  than  I  have 
for  some  time,  having  got  more  sleep  than  usual  last 
night.  Your  precious  letters  have  been  reaching  me 
from  time  to  time,  and  gladden  your  husband's  heart." 

"  May  8th.  At  present  I  am  living  in  an  elegant 
mansion,  with  Major  Preston  in  my  room.  Mr. 
Massie  is  on  my  staff,  and  left  this  morning  for  Eich- 


152  LTFE   OF   GENERAL   THOMAS   J.  JACKSON. 

mond  as  bearer  of  despatches,  but  will  return  in  a  few 
days.  I  am  strengthening  my  position,  and  if  at- 
tacked shall,  with  the  blessing  of  Providence,  repel 
the  enemy.  I  am  in  good  health,  considering  the 
great  amount  of  labor  which  devolves  upon  me,  and 
the  loss  of  sleep  to  which  I  am  subjected,  but  I  hope 
to  have  a  good  sleep  to-night,  and  trust  that  my  habits 
will  be  more  regular  in  the  future.  Colonels  Preston 
and  Massie  have  been  of  great  service  to  me.  Human- 
ly speaking,  I  don't  see  how  I  could  have  accomplished 
the  amount  of  work  I  have  done  without  them.  .  .  .' 
Oh,  how  I  would  love  to  see  your  precious  face !" 

In  his  next  letter  he  advised  me  to  make  every  nec- 
essary provision  for  the  servants,  and  arrange  all  our 
home  interests,  so  that  I  could  return  to  my  father's 
sheltering  roof  in  Korth  Carolina.  Up  to  this  period 
he  had  still  hoped  that  the  gathering  storm  might  pass 
over  without  bloodshed  ;  but  Virginia  had  now  adopt- 
ed the  Constitution  of  the  Confederate  States,  thus 
uniting  her  destiny  with  theirs,  and  all  hope  of  escap- 
ing war  died  even  in  the  most  sanguine  hearts. 

Our  servants,  under  my  supervision,  had  up  to  this 
time  remained  at  home;  but  without  the  firm  guidance 
and  restraint  of  their  master,  the  excitement  of  the 
times  proved  so  demoralizing  to  them  that  he  deemed 
it  best  for  me  to  provide  them  with  good  homes 
among  the  permanent  residents.  After  doing  this, 
packing  our  furniture  and  closing  our  house,  my  bur- 
dened, anxious  heart  found  sweet  relief  and  comfoi't 
upon  reaching  the  home  of  my  kind  parents,  who  had 
sent  one  of  my  young  brothers  to  bi-ing  me  to  them 
just   as   soon  as  my  husband   advised    the  removal. 


HARPER'S  FERRY.  ^53 

Thenceforvvaixl  my  home  was  with  them  throughout 
the  war,  except  during  the  few  visits  which  I  was  per- 
mitted to  pay  my  husband  in  the  army. 

Harper's  Ferry  is  surrounded  by  scenery  of  rare 
beauty  and  grandeur.     The  little  village  occupies  the 
slope  of  a  ridge  called  Bolivar  Heights,  which  runs 
along  a  tongue  of  land  between  the  junction  of  the 
Potomac  and  Shenandoah  rivers.    The  Potomac  is  the 
boundary  line  between  Maryland  and  Virginia.     The 
beautiful  Shenandoah,  whose  signification  in  the  In- 
dian language  is  "  sparkling  waters,"  flows  forth  from 
the  grand  and  exquisite  Valley  of  Virginia,  along  the 
western  base  of  the  Blue  Ridge,  until  it  meets  the  Poto- 
mac, when  they  unite  and  rush  through  the  mountains 
towards  the  ocean.     Through  the  great  cleft,  worn 
ages  ago  by  the  waters  forcing  their  passage  through 
the  range  of  mountains,  a  picture  of  surpassing  beauty 
is  revealed  in  verdant,  undulating  plains,  stretching 
far  away  into  the  distance,  presenting  a  striking  con- 
trast to  the  wild  and  gigantic  scenery  of  the  fore- 
ground.   East  of  the  Shenandoah  the  Blue  Ridge  rises 
immediately  from  the  waters,  overlooking  the  village, 
and  this  eminence  is  called  Loudoun  Heights.     North 
of  it,  and  across  the  Potomac,  a  twin  mountain  of 
equal  altitude  bears  the  name  of  Maryland  Heights, 
and  commands  a  view  of  the  whole  upper  valley  of 
the  Potomac.     In  consequence  of  the  greatly  superior 
elevation  of  the  heights  of  Loudoun  and  Maryland  to 
that  of  the  Bohvar  Heights,  upon  which  the  village  is 
built,  it  will  be  seen  that  Harper's  Ferry  was  not  at 
aU  a  position  that  was  strong  for  defence,  if  attacked 
by  an  array,  unless  it  was  held  as  a  fortress  by  a 
large  garrison,  with  heavy  artillery  to  crown  all  the 


154  LIFE   OF   GENERAL   THOMAS   J.  JACKSON. 

triangle  of  mountains  that  surround  it,  and  to  unite 
those  crests  with  each  other.  Still,  it  was  a  matter  of 
paramount  importance  to  the  Confederates  to  secure 
and  hold  this  post.  The  place  had  long  been  used  by 
the  Federal  government  as  a  point  at  w4iich  to  manu- 
facture and  store  tire-arms,  and  the  banks  of  both 
streams  were  lined  with  factories  and  arsenals  where 
thousands  of  arms  were  annually  made  and  stored.  As 
soon  as  war  became  imminent,  the  possession  of  Har- 
per's Ferr}^  with  its  arms  and  munitions  of  war,  be- 
came such  a  necessity  to  the  Virginians  that  the  mili- 
tia companies  of  the  surrounding  country  resolved  to 
effect  its  capture ;  but  while  they  were  assembling 
for  this  purpose,  the  Federal  officer  in  command  of 
the  place  heard  of  their  design,  and,  after  setting  fire 
to  the  factories  and  store-houses,  deserted  the  town. 
However,  as  the  factories  were  saved  by  the  efforts 
of  the  Virginians,  and  as  they  had  already  removed  and 
secreted  a  large  number  of  arms,  he  did  not  inflict 
such  a  blow  as  he  had  intended.  Harper's  Ferry  now 
became  the  rendezvous  of  all  the  troops  in  the  Valley 
of  Virginia,  and  it  was  the  command  of  these  and 
others  sent  to  reinforce  them  that  was  given  to  Colo- 
nel Jackson  Avhen  he  receiv^ed  his  commission  in  the 
service  of  Virginia.  Many  other  companies  of  volun- 
teers flocked  from  the  valley,  all  of  whom  woi'e  filled 
with  ardor  and  enthusiasm;  but  the  niajui'ity  Avere 
without  training  or  discipline,  and  many  were  unpro- 
vided with  arms.  Altogether  the  force  at  Harper's 
Ferry  consisted  of  about  twenty-five  hundred  men — 
four  hundred  Kentuckians  and  the  rest  Virginians — 
but  volunteers  from  the  South  afterwards  swelled  the 
number  to  forty-five  hundred  men.    There  were  eight 


SECRECY    IN    MILITARY    OPERATIONS.  I55 

companies  of  cavalry,  and  four  battalions  of  field  ar- 
tillery with  fifteen  light  guns  ;  but  all  was  a  confused 
mass  when  Colonel  Jackson  came  as  a  stranofer  to 
take  command.  However,  with  the  aid  of  Colonels 
Preston  and  Massie  and  two  cadets  whom  he  had 
brought  as  (h'ill-inasters,  and  by  his  own  tireless  en- 
ergy, order  and  consistency  soon  took  the  place  of 
chaos  and  confusion.  As  matters  then  stood.  Harper's 
Ferry  was  regarded  as  the  most  important  position 
in  Tirginia.  Its  command  was  the  advance  guard 
of  all  the  Southern  forces,  and  it  was  expected  that 
blood  would  first  be  shed  there,  as  a  laro^e  force  under 
General  Patterson  was  threatening  an  attack,  and 
through  that  pass  it  was  surmised  the  invaders  would 
pour  into  the  State.  Kegarding  it  as  a  necessity  to 
the  protection  and  defence  of  liis  post,  Colonel  Jack- 
son had  taken  possession  of  the  Maryland  Heights, 
which  towered  so  far  above  the  village  and  Bolivar 
Heights  as  greatly  to  endanger  his  force  should  they 
be  seized  by  the  enemy.  In  his  despatches  to  the  gov- 
ernment, he  declared  his  determination,  if  attacked,  to 
make  such  a  resistance  as  should  convince  the  enemy 
of  the  desperate  resolution  of  the  people  of  the  South. 
From  the  very  first,  Colonel  Jackson  showed  that 
reticence  and  secrecy  as  to  his  military  operations 
that  was  so  marked  in  all  his  campaigns,  and  con- 
tributed so  greatly  to  his  success.  It  was  his  maxim 
that,  in  war,  mystery  was  the  key  to  success.  Wliile 
in  command  at  Harper's  Ferry,  on  one  occasion,  he 
was  visited  by  a  committee  from  the  Legislature  of 
Maryland,  whose  object  appeared  to  be  to  learn  his 
plans.  This  dignified  body  was  received  with  courtesy, 
as  the  co-operation  of  their  State  Avas  earnestly  de- 


156  LIFE    OF   GENERAL   THOM.VS  J.  JACKSOX. 

sired  by  the  South,  and  some  of  Colonel  Jackson's 
friends  were  curious  to  see  how  he  would  stand  the 
test  of  being  questioned  upon  military  matters  and 
keep  his  secrets,  while  yet  showing  the  utmost  polite- 
ness to  his  guests.  After  pumping  him  for  some  time 
without  any  satisfactory  result,  one  of  the  delegation 
ventured  to  ask  directly  :  ''  Colonel,  how  many  troops 
have  you  T'  He  promptly  replied  :  "  I  should  be  glad 
if  Lincoln  thought  I  had  fifteen  thousand." 

Upon  the  formal  union  of  Virginia  with  the  South- 
ern Confederacy,  all  her  forces  and  armaments  were 
turned  over  to  that  government.  The  capital  of  the 
Confederate  States  was  transferred  from  Montgomery, 
Alabama,  to  Richmond,  a  city  rich  in  historic  associa- 
tions from  the  days  of  Washington,  and  now  destined 
to  be  the  centre  of  the  South  in  the  momentous  strug- 
gle of  the  next  four  years. 

Among  the  very  first  notices  of  Colonel  Jackson 
that  appeared  in  the  papers  Avas  the  following : 

"  The  commanding  officer  at  Harper's  Ferry  is 
Avorthy  of  the  name  he  bears,  for  '  Old  Hickory  '  him- 
self was  not  a  more  determined,  iron-nerved  man  than 
he.  Born  in  Yii-ginia,  educated  at  West  Point,  trained 
in  the  Mexican  war,  occupied  since  at  the  pet  mili- 
tary institution  of  the  Old  Dominion,  his  whole  life 
has  been  a  preparation  for  this  struggle.  A  brother 
ofiicer  says  of  him :  '  Jackson  does  not  know  fear !' 
Above  all,  he  is  a  devoted  Christian,  and  the  strongest 
man  becomes  stronger  when  his  heart  is  pure  and  his 
hands  are  clean." 

One  of  the  first  acts  of  the  Confederate  authorities 


SUPERSEDED  BY  GENERAL  JOHNSTON.      157 

after  taking  possession  at  Richmond  was  to  appoint 
General   Joseph    E.    Johnston    to    the    command   at 
Harjier's  Ferry,  whose  higher  rank,  age,  and  greater 
expei'ience  as  an  officer  it  was  thought  would  render 
him  a  more  suitable  commander  for  this  most  impor- 
tant post  than  Colonel  Jackson.    Accordingly,  General 
Johnston  was  sent  on  to  take  command,  without  any 
instructions  to  the  latter  from  tlie  government  to  turn 
it  over  to  him ;  and  as  he  had  been  placed  there  by 
the  authority  of  General  Lee,  as  commander  of  the 
Virginia  troops,  his  fidelity  as  a  soldier  constrained 
him  to  hold  his  position  until  he  should  receive  orders 
from  the  same  source  to  resign  it  into  other  hands. 
This  was  an  embarrassing  situation  for  both  officers, 
but  fortunately   a  communication  soon    came   from 
General  Lee,  in  Avhich  he  referred  to  General  John- 
ston as  commander  at  Harper's  Ferry;  and  Colonel 
Jackson  at  once  recognized  this  as  official  evidence 
that  he  was  superseded,  and  as  promptly  yielded  the 
command  to  General  Johnston.     The  latter  was  too 
true  and  honorable  a  soldier  himself  not  to  appreciate 
the  conduct  of  a  man  whose  inexorable  and  unflinch- 
ing devotion  to  duty  threw  him  into  a  momentary 
collision   with   himself;   and,  ever  after,  both    their 
official  and  social  relations  w-ere  cordial  and  pleasant, 
and  the  superior  officer  had  no  more  faithful  and  zeal- 
ous supporter  than  his  predecessor  at  Harper's  Ferry. 
To  this  change  of  command  Jackson  thus  alludes  in 
his  letters : 

'•  Harper's  Ferry,  May  27tli,  1861. 
''  My  precious  darling,  I  suppose  you  have  heard 
that  General  Joseph  E.  Johnston,  of  the  Confederate 
army,  has  been  placed  in  command  here.     You  must 


158  LIFE  OF   GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

not  concern  yourself  about  the  change.  Colonel  Pres- 
ton will  explain  it  all  to  you.  I  hope  to  have  more 
time,  as  long  as  I  am  not  in  command  of  a  post,  to 
write  longer  letters  to  my  darling  pet." 

The  Virginia  regiments  at  the  different  posts  were 
now  organized  into  a  brigade,  and  Colonel  Jackson 
was  appointed  its  commander.  He  writes :  "  I  am  in 
command  of  the  Virginia  troops  stationed  here,  and 
am  doing  well.  I  have  been  superseded  by  General 
Johnston,  as  stated  in  a  former  letter,  but  so  far  as  I 
have  yet  learned,  I  have  not  been  ordered  to  the 
Northwest."  He  had  a  great  desire  to  go  to  his  native 
section  of  Virginia,  and  devote  his  energies  to  rescuing 
that  part  of  the  State,  and  saving  it  to  the  South. 

"I  am  very  thankful  to  an  ever- kind  Providence 
for  enabling  you  so  satisfactorily  to  arrange  our  home 
matters.  I  just  love  my  business  little  woman.  Let 
Mr.  Tebbs  have  the  horse  and  rockaway  at  his  own 
price ;  and  if  he  is  not  able  to  pay  for  them,  you  may 
give  them  to  him,  as  he  is  a  minister  of  the  Gospel.  .  .  . 
I  have  written  as  you  requested  to  "Winchester,  that 
if  vou  were  there,  to  come  on  ;  but,  my  little  pet,  whilst 
I  should  be  delighted  to  see  you,  yet  if  you  have  not 
started,  do  not  think  of  coming.  .  .  .  My  habitual 
prayer  is  that  our  kind  Heavenly  Father  will  give 
unto  my  darling  every  needful  blessing,  and  that 
she  may  have  that  'peace  Avhich  passeth  all  under- 
standing; !'  " 


*& 


The  next  letter  touches  upon  the  persistent  secrecy 
and  reticence  in  liis  military  affairs  which  has  already 


"THE   STONEWALL   BRIGADE."  159 

been  noticed,  and  shows  that  even  to  his  wife  he  did 
not  confide  his  plans  any  more  than  to  his  comrades 


m  arms : 


"June  4th.     Little  one,  you   wrote  me  that  you 
wanted  lonf,^er  letters,  and  now  just  prepare  yourself 
to  have  your  wish  gratified.     You  say  that  your  hus- 
band  never    writes    you    any   news.     I  suppose  you 
meant  military  news,  for  I  have  written  you  a  great 
deal  about  your  espono  and  how  much  he  loves  you. 
What  do  you  want  with  military  news?     Don't  you 
know  that  it  is  unmilitary  and   unlike  an  officer  to 
write  news  respecting  one's  post  ?     You  wouldn't  wish 
your  husband  to  do  an  unofficer-like  thing,  would  you  \ 
I  have  a  nice,  green  yard,  and  if  you  were  only  here, 
how  nmch  we  could  enjoy  it  together !    But  do  not 
attempt  to  come,  as  before  you  could  get  here  I  might 
be  ordered  elsewhere.     My  chamber  is  on  the  second 
story,  and  the  roses  climb  even  to  that  height,  and 
come  into  my  window,  so  that  I  have  to  push  them 
out,  when  I  want  to  lower  it.      I  wish  you  could  see 
with  me  the  beautiful  roses  in  the  yard  and  garden, 
and  upon  the  wall  of  the  house  here;  but  my  sweet, 
little  sunny  face  is  what  I  want  to  see  most  of  all. 
Little  one,  you  are  so  precious  to  somebody's  heart !    I 
have  been  greatly  blessed  by  our  kind  Heavenly  Father, 
in  health  and   otherwise,  since  leaving  home.     The 
troops  here  have  been  divided  into  brigades,  and  the 
Virginia  forces  under  General  Johnston  constitute  the 
First  Brigade,  of  which  I  am  in  command." 

This  afterwards  became  the  famous  "  Stonewall  Bri- 
gade."   The  Eev.  Dr.  William  K  Pendleton,  rector  of 


160  LIFE   OF  GENERAL   THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

the  Episcopal  Church  at  Lexington,  a  graduate  of  West 
Point,  had  command  of  a  battery  of  hght  field-guns, 
wliich  was  manned  chiefly  by  the  young  men  of  the 
college  and  town  of  Lexington.  It  was  attached  to 
the  Stonewall  Brigade,  in  whicii  it  was  known  as  the 
Eockbridge  Artillery.  This  battery  contained  seven 
Masters  of  Art  of  the  University  of  Virginia,  forty- 
two  other  college  graduates,  nineteen  theological  stu- 
dents, and  others  (including  a  son  of  General  Lee), 
who  were  among  the  noblest  young  men  of  the  South, 
and  a  proportion  of  Christian  men  as  surprisingly  large 
as  it  was  highly  gratifying.  The  very  best  blood  of 
the  South  was  represented  among  these  volunteer 
soldiers,  many  of  them  taking  the  place  of  privates. 

On  the  16th  of  June  General  Johnston  evacuated 
Harper's  Ferry.  Doctor  Dabney's  explanation  of  this 
movement  was,  that  the  Confederate  commander 
speedily  learned  the  untenable  nature  of  his  position 
there,  and,  having  accomplished  the  temporary  pur- 
poses of  its  occupation  by  the  removal  of  the  valuable 
machinery  and  materials  for  the  manufacture  of  fire- 
arms, he  determined  to  abandon  the  place.  Win- 
chester, being  the  true  strategic  point  for  the  defence 
of  the  upper  regions  of  Virginia,  thither  General 
Johnston  resolved  to  remove  his  army.  In  his  retreat 
he  offered  battle,  but  did  not  think  it  prudent  to  attack 
the  enemy,  whose  force  Avas  very  greatly  superior  to 
his  own.  In  his  letters  Colonel  Jackson  gives  an  ac- 
count of  this  march.  June  14th  he  wrote  from  Har- 
per's Ferry : 

"  We  are  about  leaving  this  place.  General  John- 
ston has    withdrawn   his   troops    from    the   Heights 


LETTERS    FROM   CAMP.  161 

("Nrai'vland  and  Virginia),  lias  blown  up  and  burnt  the 
railroad  bridge  across  the  Potomae,  and  is  doing  the 
same  with  respect  to  the  public  buildings.  Yesterday 
morning,  I  was  directed  to  get  ready  to  evacuate  the 
place,  and  in  the  evening  expected  to  march,  but  up 
to  the  present  time  the  order  has  not  come.  I  am 
looking  for  it  at  any  moment,  and,  as  I  am  at  leisure, 
will  devote  myself  to  writing  to  my  precious  pet.  I 
am  very  thankful  to  our  kind  Heavenly  Father  for 
having  sent  Joseph  [my  brother]  for  you,  and  I  trust 
that  you  are  now  safely  and  ha])pily  at  Cottage 
Home  [my  father's  place],  and  that  you  found  the 
family  all  well.  You  speak  of  others  knowing  more 
about  me  than  my  darling  does,  and  say  you  have 
heard  through  others  that  I  am  a  brigadier-general. 
By  this  time  I  suppose  you  have  found  out  that  the 
report  owes  its  origin  to  Madam  Rumor." 

"  June  18th.  On  Sunday,  by  order  of  General  John- 
ston, the  entire  force  left  Harper's  Ferry,  marched 
towards  Winchester,  passed  through  Charlestown,  and 
halted  for  the  night  about  two  miles  this  side.  The 
next  morning  we  moved  towards  the  enemy,  who 
Avere  between  Martinsburg  and  Williamsport,  Mary- 
land, and  encamped  for  the  night  at  Bunker  Hill. 
Yesterday  morning  we  were  to  have  marched  at  sun- 
rise, and  I  hoped  that  in  the  evening,  or  this  morning, 
we  should  have  engaged  the  enem}' ;  but,  instead  of 
doing  so,  General  Johnston  made  some  disposition  for 
receiving  the  enemy  if  they  should  attack  us,  and 
thus  we  were  kept  until  about  noon,  when  he  gave 
the  order  to  return  towards  Winchester.  Near  sunset 
we  reached  this  place,  which  is  about  three  miles 
11 


162     LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

north  of  Winchester,  on  the  turnpike  leading  thence 
to  Martinsburg.  On  Sunday,  when  our  tro(jps  were 
marching  on  the  enem}^  they  were  so  inspirited  as 
apparently  to  forget  the  fatigue  of  the  march ;  and 
though  some  of  them  were  suffering  from  hunger,  this 
and  other  privations  appeared  to  be  forgotten,  and 
the  march  continued  at  the  rate  of  about  tliree  miles 
an  hour.  But  when  they  were  ordered  to  retire,  their 
reluctance  was  manifested  by  their  snail-like  pace. 
I  hope  the  general  will  do  something  soon.  Since 
we  left  Harper's  Ferry,  an  active  movement  towards 
repeUing  the  enemy  is,  of  course,  expected.  I  trust 
that  through  the  blessing  of  God  we  shall  soon  be 
given  an  opportunity  of  driving  the  invaders  from 
this  region." 

"Headquarters  First  Virges'ia  Brigade, 
Camp  Stephens,  June  23d. 

"My  darling  esposita,  I  am  at  present  about  four 
miles  north  of  Martinsburg*,  and  on  the  road  leading: 
to  Williamsport,  Maryland.  General  Johnston  ordered 
me  to  Martinsburg  on  last  Wednesday,  and  there  ap- 
peared to  be  a  prospect  for  a  battle  on  Thursday,  but 
the  enemy  withdrew  from  our  side  of  the  river.  Our 
troops  are  very  anxious  for  an  engagement,  but  this  is 
the  second  time  the  enemy  have  retreated  before  our 
advance.  However,  we  may  have  an  engagement  any 
day.  Kumor  reports  the  Federal  troops  as  concentrat- 
ing near  Shepherdstown,  on  the  Maryland  side  of  the 
Potomac.  A  great  number  of  families  have  left  their 
homes.  By  order  of  General  Johnston  I  have  de- 
stroyed a  large  number  of  locomotives  and  cars  on  the 
Baltimore  and  Ohio  liailroad.  .  .  .  T  have  just  learned 


MOVEMENTS   IN   THE   FIELD.  163 

that  the  enemy  are  again  crossing  into  Virginia  at 
Willianisport,  and  I  am  making  the  necessary  arrange- 
ments for  advancing-  to  meet  them." 


"  Monday  morning,  June  24th.  I  advanced  with 
Colonel  J.  W.  Allen's  regiment  and  Captain  Pendle- 
ton's Battery,  but  the  enemy  retreated  across  the  river, 
and,  after  reconnoitring  their  camp,  I  returned  to  my 
present  position,  four  miles  north  of  Martinsburg.  Tlie 
Federal  troops  were  in  two  camps,  one  estimated  at 
about  six  hundred,  and  the  other  at  nine  hundred. 
You  spoke  of  the  cause  of  the  South  being  gloomy. 
It  is  not  so  here.  I  am  well  satisfied  that  the  enemy 
are  afraid  to  meet  us,  and  our  troops  are  anxious  for 
an  engagement.  A  few  days  since  Colonel  A.  P.  Hill, 
who  had  been  sent  to  Romney,  despatched  a  detach- 
ment to  burn  a  bridge  eighteen  miles  west  of  Cumber- 
land, The  enterprise  was  successful.  The  enemy  lost 
two  guns  and  their  colors.  I  regret  to  see  our  ladies 
making  those  things  they  call  '  Havelocks '  [a  cover- 
ing to  protect  the  head  and  neck  from  the  sun],  as 
their  time  and  money  could  be  much  more  usefully 
employed  in  providing  haversacks  for  the  soldiers, 
many  of  whom  have  none  in  which  to  carry  their  ra- 
tions. I  have  been  presented  with  three  Havelocks, 
but  I  do  not  intend  to  wear  them,  for,  as  far  as  I  am 
concerned,  I  shall  sliow  that  such  protection  is  unnec- 
essary in  this  climate." 

"Berkeley  Countt,  June  28th. 

..."  I  am  bivouacking.  I  sleep  out  of  doors  without 
any  cover  except  my  bedding,  but  have  not  felt  any 
inconvenience  from  it  that  I  am  aware  of  in  the  way 
of  impaired  health.     Last  evening,  opposite  "Williams- 


164  LIFE  OF   GENERAL   THOMAS  J.  JACKSOX. 

port,  one  of  our  men  was  shot  in  the  abdomen  by  tne 
enemy,  but  he  is  still  living,  and  I  trust  will  recover. 
T  am  inclined  to  think  it  was  done  by  a  Virginian 
rather  than  a  Northerner.  There  is  a  great  deal  of 
disloyalty  in  this  county,  although  it  has  diminished. 
Mr.  Edwin  Lee,  son-in-law  of  General  Pendleton,  is 
my  aid,  and  Sandy  Pendleton  is  my  ordnance  officer 
and  acting  adjutant -general.  Last  night  the  news 
came,  after  I  had  retired,  that  the  enemy  had  packed 
their  wagons  with  baggage,  thus  indicating  a  move  in 
some  direction.  I  didn't  trouble  my  command,  but 
merely  gave  such  orders  as  were  necessary  to  prevent 
their  approach  without  giving  me  timely  notice ;  but, 
in  consequence,  I  had  my  rest  disturbed,  and  am  feel- 
ing the  effects  of  it  to-day.  Yesterday  Lieutenant 
Bowman,  of  the  Eighth  Regiment,  Pennsylvania  Vol- 
unteers, who  was  captured  some  time  since  opposite 
Williamsport  by  Colonel  J.  E.  B.  Stuart,  of  the  cav- 
alry, and  now  in  Richmond  on  his  parole  of  honor,  sent 
a  letter  via  here  to  Williamsport  which  required  us 
to  send  a  flag  of  truce.     All  went  off  well." 

The  next  letter  was  written  upon  a  sheet  which  had 
been  captured  from  the  Federals.  It  was  bordered  all 
around  with  an  edge  of  bright  red,  and  at  the  top  of 
the  first  page,  in  the  left-hand  corner,  was  a  gayly 
colored  picture  of  the  statue  of  Liberty,  holding  over 
her  head  a  United  States  flag,  and  beneath  her  feet 
were  the  words  "  Onward  to  Victory  !" 

"  Darkesvillk,  July  4th. 
"  My   precious    darling,   day   before    yesterday   I 
learned  that  the  enemy  had  crossed  the  Potomac  and 


THE   FIRST    ENGAGEMENT.  jgg 

were  advancing  upon  me.     I  immediately  ordered  my 
command  under  arms,  and  gave  such  instructions  as  I 
<losired  to  have  carried  out  until  I  should  be  heard  from 
again,  and  with  Captain  Pendleton's  Battery  and  one 
regiment  of  Virginia  volunteers  advanced  to  meet  the 
Federal  troops.    After  proceedi ng  to  the  locality  which 
had  been  indicated  as  occupied  by  them,  and  ascertain- 
ing the  position  of  their  advance,  1  made  the  necessary 
movement  for  bringing  a  small  part  of  my  force  into 
action.     Soon  the  tiring  commenced,  and  the  advance 
of  the  enemy  was  driven  back.     They  again  advanced, 
and  were  repulsed.     My  men  got  possession  of  a  house 
and  barn,  which  gave  them  a  covered  position  and  an 
effective  fire;   but  Unding  that  the  enemy  were  en- 
deavoring to  get  in  my  rear  and  that  my  men  were 
being  endangered,  I  gave  the  order  to  their  colonel 
that,  if  pressed,  he  must  fall  back.     He  obeyed,  and 
fell  back.     The  artillery  of  the  foe  opened  upon  me, 
and  I  directed  Captain  Pendleton  to  take  a  favorable 
position  in  rear  and  return  their  fire  with  one  gun. 
His  first  ball  cleared  the  road,  which  was  occupied  by 
the  enemy."     [It  is  said  that,  before  firing  this  first 
ball  upon  the  enemy,  the  reverend  officer  lifted  his 
eyes  to  heaven  and  uttered  the  prayer,  "  Lord,  have 
mercy  upon  their  souls!"]     '^I  still  continued  to  fall 
back,  checking  the  enemy  Avhen  it  became  necessary, 
so  as  to  give  time  for  my  baggage  to  get  into  column 
at  camp  before  I  should  arrive  there,  as  one  of  my  ob- 
jects in  advancing  was  to  keep  the  enemy  from  reach- 
ing my  camp  before  my  wagons   could  get   out  of 
the  way.     Besides  my  cavalry,  I  had  only  one  regi- 
ment engaged,  and  one  cannon,  though  I  had  ordered 
up  two  other  regiments,  so  as  to  use  them  if  necessary. 


166  LIFE    OF   GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

My  cannon  fireil  only  eight  times,  while  the  enemy 
fired  about  thirty -five  times  ;  but  the  first  fire  of  Cap- 
tain Pendleton's  Battery  was  probably  worth  more 
than  all  of  theirs.  1  desired,  as  far  as  practicable,  to 
save  my  ammunition.  My  orders  from  General  John- 
ston required  me  to  retreat  in  the  event  of  the  advance 
in  force  of  the  enemy,  so  as  soon  as  I  ascertained  that 
he  w^as  in  force  I  obeyed  ray  instructions.  I  had  twelve 
wounded  and  thirteen  killed  and  missing.  My  cavalry 
took  forty- nine  prisoners.  A  number  of  the  enemy 
were  killed,  but  I  do  not  know  how  many.  As  I 
obeyed  my  orders,  and  fell  back,  after  ascertaining 
that  the  Federals  were  in  force,  the  killed  of  the  ene- 
my did  not  fall  into  our  hands.  My  officers  and  men 
behaved  beautifully,  and  were  anxious  for  a  battle, 
this  being  onl}^  a  skirmish.  [The  affair  Avas  known  as 
that  of  "  Falling  Waters."]  I  wrote  out  my  official  re- 
port last  night,  and  think  General  Johnston  forward- 
ed it  to  Richmond.  This  morning  one  of  his  staff-offi- 
cers told  me  that  the  general  had  recommended  me 
for  a  brigadier-general.  I  am  very  thankful  that  an 
ever-kind  Providence  made  me  an  instrument  in  carry- 
ing out  General  Johnston's  orders  so  successfully.  .  .  . 
The  enemy  are  celebrating  the  4th  of  July  in  Mar- 
tinsburg,  but  we  are  not  observing  the  day." 

Upon  his  return  to  Winchester  he  received  the  fol- 
lowing note  from  General  Lee : 

"Richmond,  Va.,  July  3d,  18G1. 
"My  dear  general,  I  have  the  pleasure  of  sending 
you  a  commission  of  brigadier-general  in  the  Provis- 
ional Army,  and  to  feel  that  you  merit  it.     May  j'our 
advancement  increase  your  usefulness  to  the  State. 
"  Very  truly,  R.  E.  Lek." 


IS   MADE   A   BRIGADIERGENERAL.  1(57 

His  surprise  and  gratification  at  his  promotion  ire 
expressed  in  the  following  letter  : 

"I  have  been  officially  inl'ornicd  of  my  promotion 
to  be  a  brigadier-general  of  the  Provisional  Army  of 
the  Southern  Confederacy,  but  it  was  prior  to  my  skir- 
mish with  the  enemy.  My  letter  from  the  Secretary 
of  War  was  dated  17th  of  June.  Thinking  it  would 
be  gratifying  to  you,  I  send  the  lettei's  of  Generals 
Lee  and  Johnston.  From  the  latter  you  will  see  that 
he  desired  my  promotion  for  my  conduct  on  the  2d 
and  3d  instant.  On  the  3d  I  did  nothing  more  than 
join  General  Johnston.  My  promotion  was  beyond 
what  I  anticipated,  as  I  only  expected  it  to  be  in  the 
volunteer  forces  of  the  State.  One  of  my  greatest 
desires  for  advancement  is  the  gratification  it  will 
give  my  darling,  and  [tlie  opportunity]  of  serving  my 
country  more  elficientlv.  I  have  had  all  that  I  ouo-ht 
to  desire  in  the  line  of  promotion.  I  should  be  very 
ungrateful  if  I  were  not  contented,  and  exceedingly 
thankful  to  our  kind  Heavenly  Father.  May  his  bless- 
ing ever  rest  on  you  is  my  fervent  prayer.  Try  to 
live  near  to  Jesus,  and  secure  that  peace  which  flows 
like  a  river." 

In  the  next  letter  he  alludes  to  the  destruction  of 
the  property  of  the  T>altimore  and  Ohio  Railroad  by 
the  command  of  General  Johnston  : 

..."  It  was  your  husband  that  did  so  much  mischief 
at  Martinsburg.  To  destroy  so  many  fine  locomotives, 
cars,  and  railroad  property  was  a  sad  work,  but  I  had 
my  orders,  and  my  duty  was  to  obey.     If  the  cost  of 


168  LIFE   OF   GENERAL   THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

the  property  could  only  have  been  expended  in  dis- 
seminating the  gospel  of  the  Prince  of  Peace,  how 
much  good  might  have  been  expected !  .  .  .  You  must 
not  be  concerned  at  our  falling  back  to  this  place 
[Winchester].  .  .  .  One  of  the  most  trying  things  here 
is  the  loss  of  sleep.  Last  night  I  was  awakened  by  a 
messenger  from  the  house  of  a  friend  where  some  cav- 
alry had  stopped.  One  of  his  fair  daughters  took  it 
into  her  head  that  the  cavalry  belonged  to  the  enemy, 
whereupon  she  wrote  me  a  note,  much  to  my  discom- 
fort ;  but  the  field-officer  of  the  day  went  over  to  ex- 
amine into  the  case,  and  found  the  officer  in  command 
was  one  of  his  friends.  The  people  here  are  very  kind ; 
so  much  so  that  I  have  to  decline  many  invitations  to 
accept  their  hospitalities.  At  present  I  am  in  a  very 
comfortable  building,  but  we  are  destitute  of  furni- 
ture, except  such  things  as  we  have  been  able  to 
gather  together.  I  am  very  thankful  to  our  Heavenly 
Father  for  having  given  me  such  a  fine  brigade." 

"Winchester,  July  Kith. 
..."  Last  evening  the  enemy  encamped  at  Bunker 
Ilill,  about  ten  miles  from  us,  and  this  moi-ning  we 
would  have  given  them  a  warm  reception  had  they 
advanced,  but  we  have  heard  nothing  respecting  tiieir 
movements  to-day.  The  news  from  the  Noi-thwest  is 
onfavorable,  as  you  have  probabl}^  seen  in  the  papers, 
but  we  must  not  be  discouraged.  God  will,  I  am  well 
satisfied,  in  Ilis  own  good  time  and  way,  give  us  the 
victory.  ...  In  reply  to  your  queries,  I  am  sleeping  on 
the  fioor  of  a  good  room,  hut  I  have  been  sleej^ing  out 
in  camp  several  weenies,  and  g(Miei';dly  fountl  that  it 
agreed  with  me  well,  excejjt  \\\\vu  it  rained,  and  even 


HIS  CHEERFUL,  HOPEFUL   SPIRIT.  169 

then  it  Avas  but  slightly  objectionable.  I  find  that 
sleeping  in  the  open  air,  with  no  covering  but  my 
blankets  and  the  blue  sky  for  a  cano])y,  is  more  re- 
freshing than  sleeping  in  a  room.  My  table  is  rather 
poor,  but  usually  I  get  corn- bread.  All  things  consid- 
ered, however,  I  am  doing  well.  ...  As  to  writing 
so  as  to  mail  letters  which  would  travel  on  Sunday, 
when  it  can  be  avoided,  I  have  never  had  occasion, 
after  years  of  experience,  to  regret  our  S3'stem.  Al- 
though sister  I gets  letters  from  her  husband  every 

day.  is  she  any  happier  than  my  esjyosUa?  Look 
how  our  kind  Heavenly  Father  has  prospered  us!  I 
feel  well  assured  that  in  following  our  rule,  which  is 
Biblical,  I  am  in  the  path  of  duty,  and  that  no  evil  can 
come  nigh  me.  All  things  work  together  for  my  good. 
But  when  my  sweet  one  writes,  let  the  letters  be  long, 
and  your  eftposo  hopes  to  send  you  full  ones  in  return ; 
and  when  the  wars  and  troubles  are  all  over,  I  trust 
that,  through  divine  mercy,  we  shall  have  many  happy 
days  together." 

He  always  wrote  and  talked  in  the  same  hopeful, 
cheerful  strain,  never  seeming  to  entertam  a  thought 
that  he  might  fall ;  or  if  he  had  such  a  thought,  he  was 
too  unselfish  to  overshadow  his  wife's  happiness  by 
intimating  it  to  her.  With  the  apostle  Paul,  he  could 
say  that  "  living  oi-  dying  he  was  the  Lord's,"  but  he 
never  expressed  a  desire  to  live  so  strongly  as  7iot  to 
sui^ive  his  wife.  From  the  very  thought  of  such  a 
bereavement,  his  affectionate  nature  seemed  to  shrink 
and  recoil  more  than  from  any  earthly  calamity,  and 
he  often  expressed  the  hope,  with  the  greatest  fer- 
vor and  tenderness,  that  whatever  trial  his  Heavenly 


170  Llt'E    OF   GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

Father  sent  upon  him,  this  might  be  spared.  Ir  .:iick- 
ness,  he  was  the  most  devoted  of  nurses — his  great  and 
loving  heart  having  not  a  fibre  of  selfishness  in  it,  and 
there  was  no  end  to  the  self-sacrifice  he  would  endure. 
Once,  during  a  painful  though  not  dangerous  illness 
in  his  famil}'',  after  exhausting  every  means  he  could 
think  of  for  relief,  his  anxiety  became  so  overpower- 
ing that  he  burst  into  tears,  and  his  manly  frame 
shook  with  convulsive  emotion.  Such  was  the  ex- 
quisite tenderness  of  heart  of  the  man  who,  as  a  sol- 
dier, could  bear  every  privation,  and  on  the  march  and 
in  the  field  set  his  men  an  example  of  the  most  heroic 
endurance.  This  mingling  of  tenderness  and  strength 
in  his  nature  is  illustrated  by  a  letter  to  one  of  his  offi- 
cers who  had  obtained  leave  of  absence  to  visit  a  strick- 
en household.  A  beloved  member  of  his  family  had 
just  died;  another  was  dangerously  ill;  and  he  asked 
for  an  extension  of  his  furlough.     This  was  the  reply: 

"  Mr  DEAR  Major, — I  have  received  your  sad  letter, 
and  wish  I  could  relieve  your  sorrowing  heart;  but 
human  aid  cannot  heal  the  wound.  From  me  you 
have  a  friend's  sympathy,  and  I  wish  the  suffering 
condition  of  our  country  ])ermitte(l  mo  to  show  it. 
But  we  must  think  of  the  living  and  of  those  who  are 
to  come  Jifter  us,  and  see  that,  with  (Tod's  blessing;,  we 
transmit  to  them  the  freedom  we  have  enjoyed.  What 
is  life  without  honors  Degradation  is  worse  than 
death.  It  is  necessary  that  you  should  be  at  your 
post  immediatel}'.  Join  me  to-morrow  morning. 
"Your  sympathizing  friend,        T.  J.  Jackson." 

Among  the  stores  captui-ed  at  Harper's  Ferry,  not 


"OLD   SORREL."  j/yj 

the  least  valuable  was  a  train  of  cars  on  the  Baltimore 
and  Ohio  Paiilroad, bound  for  Washington,  loaded  with 
horses  for  the  government.     This  was  a  lawful  prize, 
and  was  at  once  turned  over  to  the  Confederate  army, 
except  two  which  Jackson  purchased  ;  and,  hoping  that 
hostilities  would  soon  blow  over,  he  selected  the  small- 
er one,  which  he  called  -  Fancy,"  as  a  present  for  his 
wife,  thinking  his  size  and  gait  were  admirably  suited 
for  the  use  of  a  lady.     His  name  of  ''  Fancy  "seemed 
rather  a  misnomer,  for  he  was  anything  but  a  fancy- 
looking  animal ;  but  he  was  well  formed,  compactly 
built,  round  and  fat  (never  "  raw-boned,  gaunt,  and 
grim,"  as  he  has  often  been  described),  and  his  jwwers 
of  endurance  were  perfectly  wonderful.     Indeed,  he 
seemed  absolutely  indefatigable.     Ilis  eyes  were  his 
chief  beauty,  being  most  intelligent  and  expressive, 
and  as  soft  as  a  gazelle's.     He  had  a  peculiar  habit  of 
lying  down  like  a  dog  when  the  command  halted  for 
rest.     His  master  made  a  pet  of  him,  and  often  fed  him 
apples   from   his   own   hand.     General  Jackson   had 
several  other  horses,  one  or  two  being  superb  creat- 
ures, Avhich  had  been  presented  to  him,  but  he  prefer- 
red the  little  sorrel  to  them  all,  finding  his  gait,  as  he 
expressed  it,  "  as  easy  as  the  rocking  of  a  cradle."     He 
rode  him  in  nearly  every  battle  in  which  he  was  en- 
gaged.    After  being  lost  for  a  time,  upon  the  fall  of 
his  master  at  Chancellorsville,  he  was  found  by  a  Con- 
federate soldier,  and  kindly  sent  by  Governor  Letcher 
to  the  family  of  General  Jackson  in  North  Carolina, 
and   lived   many  years   in  Lincoln    County   on    the 
farm  of  the  Kev.  Dr.  Morrison,  father-in-law  of  the 
general,  and  with  whom  his  family  made  their  home. 
Here  he  was  treated  to  the.  greenest  of  pastures  and 


172 


LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 


the  best  of  care,  and  did  excellent  service  as  a  family 
horse,  both  in  harness  and  under  the  saddle,  and  for  a 
lono'  time  was  the  riding-horse  of  the  venerable  min- 


"  OT,D   SORKEL." 

ister  to  his  country  churches.  One  of  the  young 
Morrisons  used  to  say  that  Old  Fancy  (as  he  was  called 
on  the  farm)  "had  more  sense,  and  was  the  greatest 
old  rascal  he  ever  saw."  He  could  make  as  good  use 
of  his  mouth  in  lifting  latches  and  letting  down  bars 
as  a  man  could  of  his  hands,  and  it  was  a  frequent 
habit  of  his  to  let  himself  out  of  his  stable,  and  then 
go  deliberately  to  the  doors  of  all  the  other  horses  and 
mules,  liberate  each  one,  and  then  march  off  with 
them  all  behind  him,  like  a  soldier  leading  his  com- 
mand, to  the  green  fields  of  grain  around  the  farm — a 
fence  proving  no  obstacle  to  him,  for  ho  could,  with 
his  mouth,  lift  off  the  rails  one  by  one  until  the  fence 
was  low  enough  to  jum])  over ;  so  that  he  was  contin- 
ually getting  into  mischief.     Ihit  he  was  such  a  pet 


"OLD   SORREL."  173 

that  he  was  allowed  to  do  anything ;  and  was  often 
taken  to  county  fairs,  where  he  Avas  an  object  of  as 
much  interest  as  one  of  the  old  heroes  of  the  war. 
His  hardiness  was  shown  by  his  great  longevity,  for 
he  was  over  thirty  years  of  age  when  he  died,  in  188(>, 
at  the  Soldiers'  Home  in  Richmond,  Virginia ;  and 
such  was  still  the  enthusiasm  for  the  old  war-horse 
that  his  body  was  sent  to  a  taxidermist  to  be  mount- 
ed. It  now  stands  in  a  glass  case  in  the  library, 
where  the  veterans,  as  they  look  upon  it,  can  im 
agine  that  they  see  again  their  beloved  commander  as 
they  have  seen  him  so  often  on  the  field  of  battle. 


CHAPTER   XL 

THE   FIRST   BATTLE   OF   MANASSAS. 

"While  General  Johnston's  movements  were  going 
on  in  the  lower  Valley  of  Virginia,  others  of  great  im- 
portance were  being  made  elsewhere  in  the  State,  the 
chief  of  which  was  the  organization  of  an  army  by 
General  Beauregard  at  Manassas  Junction,  to  cover 
the  approach  to  Richmond,  the  capital  of  the  Confed- 
eracy. This  Junction  was  about  twenty-five  miles 
from  Alexandria,  and  was  manifestly  the  strategic 
point  for  the  defence  of  Northeastern  Virginia.  The 
United  States  troops  were  now  massed  in  and  around 
Washington,  preparing  for  an  advance  into  Virginia, 
and  all  the  energies  of  the  Confederate  authorities 
were  concentrated  upon  preparations  to  repel  the  in- 
vaders. On  both  sides  Manassas  Avas  the  centre  of 
expectation.  Generals  Beauregard  and  Johnston  w^ere 
acting  in  concert,  and  on  the  18th  of  July  Johnston 
received  a  telegram  from  Beauregard  that  the  enemy 
was  advancing  in  force  upon  Bull  Run,  and  calling 
upon  him  to  hasten  to  his  assistance.  General  Mc- 
Dowell, with  a  large  army,  was  marching  forward  to 
attack  the  Confederates  with  the  confidence  of  an  easy 
victory.  They  had  ali-eady  driven  back  General  Beau- 
regard's advance  guard,  and  seemed  likely  to  carry  all 
before  them  when  tlie  arrival  of  Johnston's  troops 
turned  the  fortune  of  the  day. 


ON   THE   MARCH   TO  THE    FIELD.  175 

"We  will  now  let  General  Jackson  give  his  account 
of  the  uioveinents  of  his  command  at  this  juncture. 
He  writes: 

''  On  the  ISth  of  July  I  struck  my  tents,  rolled 
them  up,  and  left  them  on  the  ground,  and  about  noon 
marched  through  Winchester,  as  I  had  been  encamped 
on  the  other  side  of  the  town.  About  an  hour  and 
a  half  after  leaving,  I  had  the  following  order  from 
General  Johnston  published  to  my  brigade  :  '  Our 
gallant  army  under  General  Beauregard  is  now  at- 
tacked by  overwhelming  numbers.  The  commanding 
general  hopes  that  his  troops  will  step  out  like  men, 
and  make  a  forced  march  to  save  the  country.'  At 
this  stirring  appeal  the  soldiers  rent  the  air  with 
shouts  of  joy,  and  all  was  eagerness  and  animation 
where  before  there  had  been  only  lagging  and  unin- 
terested obedience.  We  continued  our  march  until 
we  reached  Millwood,  in  Clarke  County,  where  we 
halted  for  an  hour  or  so,  having  found  an  abundance 
of  good  water,  and  there  we  took  a  lunch.  Resuming 
the  march,  nw  brigade  continuing  in  front,  we  arrived 
at  the  Shenandoah  River  about  dark.  The  water  was 
waist-deep,  but  the  men  gallantly  waded  the  river. 
This  halting  and  crossing  delayed  us  for  some  time ; 
but  about  two  o'clock  in  the  morning  we  arrived  at 
the  little  village  of  Paris,  where  we  remained  sleep- 
ing until  nearly  dawn.  I  mean  the  troops  slept,  as 
my  men  were  so  exhausted  that  I  let  them  sleep  while 
I  kept  watch  myself." 

After  pacing  around  the  camp,  or  leaning  upon  the 
fence,  watching  the  slumbers  of  his  men  until  nearly 


176     LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

daylight,  he  yielded  his  post  to  a  member  of  his  staff, 
who  insisted  on  relieving  him,  and  he  then  threw  his 
own  wearied  frame  down  upon  a  bed  of  leaves  in  a 
fence  corner,  and  snatched  an  hour  or  two  of  sleep, 
after  which  he  rose  at  dawn  and  roused  his  men  to 
continue  their  march.* 

*  This  Night-watch  by  the  Commander  has  been  celebrated 
in  a  poem,  which  appeared  after  liis  death,  and  is  said  to  have 
been  written  by  Mr.  James  R.  Randall. 

"  When  the  command  halted  for  the  night,  and  the  officer  of 
the  day  went  to  General  Jackson  and  said,  'General,  the  men  are 
all  so  wearied  that  there  is  not  one  but  is  asleep,'  and  asked  if 
lie  should  not  awaken  some  of  them  to  keep  guard,  he  replied, 
'  No,  let  the  poor  fellows  sleep,  and  I  will  watch  the  camp  to- 
night.' And  all  tliose  hours  till  the  daylight  dawned  he  walked 
around  that  camp,  the  lone  sentinel  for  that  brave  but  weary  and 
silent  body  of  Virginia  heroes;  and  when  the  glorious  morning 
broke,  the  soldiers  awoke  fresh  and  ready  for  action,  all  uncon- 
scious of  the  noble  vigils  kept  over  their  skuiibers. 

"  The  Lone  Sentry. 

"  'Twas  in  the  dying  of  the  day, 

The  darkness  grew  so  still. 
The  drowsy  pipe  of  evening  birds 

Was  liuslied  upon  the  hill. 
Athwart  the  shadows  of  the  vale 

Slumbered  the  men  of  might — 
And  one  lone  sentry  paced  his  rounds, 

To  watch  the  camp  that  night. 

"A  grave  and  solemn  man  was  he. 
With  deep  and  sombre  brow, 
Whose  dreamful  eyes  seemed  hoarding  up 

Some  unaccomplished  vow. 
His  wistful  glance  peered  o'er  the  plains 
Beneath  the  starry  light, 


"THE   LONE   SENTRY."  177 

In  his  letter  General  Jackson  continues :  "  Brisrht 
and  early  we  resumed  the  march,  and  the  head  of  our 
column  arrived  at  Piedmont,  on  the  Manassas  Gap 
Kailroad,  about  six  o'clock  in  the  mornino;.  After  sret- 
ting  our  breakfast,  the  brigade  commenced  going 
aboard  of  the  cars,  and  the  same  day  all  that  could, be 
carried  arrived  at  Manassas  about  four  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon,  without  much  suffering  to  my  men  or  to 
myself.  The  next  day  we  rested,  and  the  following 
day  was  the  memorable  21st  of  July." 

"  Manassas,  July  22d. 

"  My  precious  Pet, — Yesterday  we  fought  a  great 

battle  and  gained  a  great  victory,  for  which  all  the 

glory  is  due  to  God  alone.     Although  under  a  heavy 

fire  for  several  continuous  hours,  I  received  onh^  one 

And  with  tlie  murmured  name  of  God 
He  watched  the  camp  that  niglit. 

"  The  future  opened  unto  him 

Its  grand  and  awful  scroll ; 
Manassas  and  the  Valley  march 

Came  heaving  o'er  liis  soul ; 
Richmond  and  Sharpsburg  thundered  by 

With  that  tremendous  fight 
Which  gave  him  to  the  angel  hosts 

Who  watched  the  camp  tliat  night. 

"  We  mourn  for  him  who  died  for  us 
With  that  resistless  moan, 
While  up  the  valley  of  the  Lord 

He  marches  to  the  Throne  ! 
He  kept  the  faith  of  men  and  saints, 

Sublime  and  pure  and  bright; 
He  sleeps — and  all  is  well  with  him 
Who  watched  the  camp  that  night." 

12 


178  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS   J.  JACKSON. 

wound,  the  breaking  of  the  longest  finger  of  my  left 
hand ;  but  tlie  doctor  says  the  finger  can  be  saved, 
it  was  broken  about  midway  between  the  liand  and 
knuckle,  the  ball  passing  on  the  side  next  the  fore- 
finger. Had  it  struck  the  centre,  I  should  have  lost 
the  linger.  My  horse  was  wounded,  but  not  killed. 
Your  coat  got  an  ugly  wound  near  the  hip,  but  my 
servant,  who  is  very  handy,  has  so  far  repaired  it  that 
it  doesn't  show  very  much.  My  preservation  was  en- 
tirely due,  as  was  the  glorious  victory,  to  our  God,  to 
whom  be  all  the  honor,  praise,  and  glory.  The  battle 
was  the  hardest  that  I  have  ever  been  in,  but  not  near 
so  hot  in  its  fire.  1  commanded  in  the  centre  more 
particularly,  though  one  of  my  regiments  extended  to 
the  right  for  some  distance.  There  were  other  com- 
manders on  my  right  and  left.  Whilst  great  credit  is 
due  to  other  parts  of  our  gallant  army,  God  made  my 
brigade  more  instrumental  than  any  other  in  repulsing 
the  main  attack.  This  is  for  your  information  only — 
gay  nothing  about  it.  Let  others  speak  praise,  not 
myself." 

Though  he  was  so  reticent  of  his  own  part  in  the 
battle,  it  was  well  known  that  liis  brigade  saved  the 
day,  the  credit  of  whicli  was  justly  given  to  its  com- 
mander. At  one  moment  it  seemed  as  il'  all  Avas  lost. 
The  troops  of  South  Carolina,  commanded  by  General 
Bee,  had  been  overwhelmed,  and  lie  I'ode  up  to  Jack- 
son in  despair,  exclaiming,  "  They  are  beating  us  l)ack  !'' 
"Then,"  said  Jackson,  "  we  will  give  tliem  the  bayo- 
net !"  This  cool  reply  showed  the  unconquered  mind 
of  one  who  never  knew  that  he  was  beaten,  and  put 
fresh  courage  into  the  heart  of  him  who  was  almost 


"JACKSON   STANDS   LIKE   A   STONE   WALL!"  179 

ready  to  acknowledge  defeat ;  and,  as  he  rode  back  to 
his  command,  he  cried  out  to  them  to  "  look  at  Jack- 
son !"  saying,  -  There  he  stands  like  a  stone  wall ! 
Rally  behind  the  Virginians !"  The  cry  and  the  ex- 
ample had  its  effect,  and  the  broken  ranks  were  re- 
formed, and  led  to  another  charge,  when  their  leader 
fell  dead  with  his  face  to  the  foe.  But  with  his  last 
breath  he  had  christened  his  companion  in  arms,  in  the 
baptism  of  fire,  with  the  name  that  he  was  henceforth 
to  bear,  not  only  in  the  Southern  army,  but  in  history, 
of  Stonewall  Jackson,  while  the  troops  that  followed 
him  on  that  day  counted  it  glory  enough  to  bear  on 
their  colors  the  proud  title  of  the  "  Stonewall  Brigade." 

Soon  after  the  battle  he  writes  : 

"  Mr.  James  Davidson's  son,  Frederick,  and  William 
Page  (son  of  my  dear  friend)  were  killed.     Young 
Riley's  life  was  saved  by  his  Bible,  which  was  in  the 
breast-pocket  of  his  coat.  ...  My  finger  troubles  me 
considerably,  and  renders  it  very  difficult  for  me  to 
write,  as  the  wind  blows  my  paper,  and  I  can  only 
use  my  right  hand.     I  have  an  excellent  camping- 
ground  about  eight  miles  from  Manassas  on  the  road 
to  Fairfax  Court  House.     I  am  sleeping  in  a  tent,  and 
have  requested  that  the  one  which  my  darling' had 
the  loving  kindness  to  order  for  me  should  not  be  sent. 
If  it  is  already  made,  we  can  use  it  in  time  of  peace. 
.  .  .  General  Lee  has  recently  gone  to  the  western 
part  of  our  State,  and  I  hope  we  may  soon  hear  that 
our  God  has  again  crowned  our  arms  with  victory." 

"  August  5th.    And  so  you  think  the  papers  ought  to 
say  more  about  your  husband !     My  brigade  is  "not  a 


180  LIFE   OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

brigade  of  newspaper  correspondents.  I  know  that  the 
First  Brigade  was  the  first  to  meet  and  pass  our  retreat- 
ing forces — to  push  on  with  no  other  aid  than  the  smiles 
of  God ;  to  boldly  take  its  position  with  the  artillery 
that  was  under  my  command — to  arrest  the  victorious 
foe  in  his  onward  progress — to  hold  him  in  check  un- 
til reinforcements  arrived — and  finally  to  charge  bay- 
onets, and,  thus  advancing,  pierce  the  enemy's  centre. 
I  am  well  satisfied  with  what  it  did,  and  so  are  my 
generals,  Johnston  and  Beauregard.  It  is  not  to  be 
expected  that  I  should  receive  the  credit  that  Gen- 
erals Beauregard  and  Johnston  would,  because  I  was 
under  them  ;  but  I  am  thankful  to  my  ever-kind  Heav- 
enly Father  that  He  makes  me  content  to  await  His 
own  good  time  and  pleasure  for  commendation — know- 
ing that  all  things  work  together  for  my  good.  If  my 
brigade  can  always  play  so  important  and  useful  a 
part  as  it  did  in  the  last  battle,  I  trust  I  shall  ever  be 
most  grateful.  As  you  think  the  papers  do  not  notice 
me  enough,  I  send  a  specimen,  which  you  will  see  from 
the  upper  part  of  the  paper  is  a  leader.  IVIy  darling, 
never  distrust  our  God,  who  doeth  all  things  well. 
In  due  time  He  will  make  manifest  all  His  pleasure, 
which  is  all  His  people  should  desire.  You  must  not 
be  concerned  at  seeing  other  parts  of  the  army  lauded, 
and  my  brigade  not  mentioned.  'Truth  is  mighty 
and  will  prevail.'  When  the  official  reports  are  pub- 
lished, if  not  before,  I  expect  to  see  justice  done  this 
noble  body  of  patriots.  My  command  consists  of  the 
Second,  Fourth,  Fifth,  Twenty-seventh,  and  Thirty- 
third  regiments  of  Virginia  Volunteers,  commanded 
respectively  by  Colonels  James  W.  Allen,  James  F. 
Preston,  Kenton  Harper,  W.  W.  Gordon,  and  A.  C. 


A   CHARACTERISTIC   LETTER.  IQl 

Cummings  ;  and,  in  addition,  we  have  Colonel  Pendle- 
ton's Battery.  My  staff-olticers  are  Lieutenant-colonel 
Francis  B.  Jones,  acting  adjutant-general ;  Lieutenant- 
colonel  J.  W.  Massie,  aide;  Lieutenant  A.  S.  Pendle- 
ton, ordnance  officer ;  Captain  John  A.  Harman,  quar- 
termaster ;  and  Captain  W.  J.  Hawkes,  commissary." 

Dr.  Dabney  says :  ''  It  is  due  to  the  credit  of  Jack- 
son's wisdom  in  the  selection  of  his  instruments,  and  to 
the  gallant  and  devoted  men  who  composed  this  staff, 
to  state  that  all  of  them  who  survived  rose  with  their 
illustrious  leader  to  corresponding  posts  of  usefulness 
and  distinction."  A  number  of  other  officers  subse- 
quently served  upon  his  staff,  who  deserve  to  be  includ- 
ed in  this  eulogy.     General  Jackson  continues : 

"August  10th.  .  .  .  Prince  Napoleon  passed  here 
on  the  evening  of  the  8th,  en  route  from  Washington 
to  Manassas.  He  spent  the  night  with  General  John- 
ston, took  a  view  of  the  battle-field  yesterday  morning, 
and  then  returned  to  Washington,  passing  here  about 
eleven  o'clock  a.m.     I  only  saw  him  at  a  distance." 

A  day  or  two  after  the  battle  of  Manassas,  and  be- 
fore the  news  of  the  victory  had  reached  Lexington 
in  authentic  form,  the  post-office  was  thronged  with 
people,  awaiting  with  intense  interest  the  opening 
of  the  mail.  Soon  a  letter  was  handed  to  the  Eev. 
Dr.  White,  who  immediately  recognized  the  well- 
known  superscription  of  his  deacon  soldier,  and  ex- 
claimed to  the  eager  and  expectant  group  around  him : 
"  Now  -sve  shall  know  all  the  facts."  Upon  opening 
it  the  bulletin  read  thus : 


18^      LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSOX. 

"  M}"  dear  pastor,  in  my  tent  last  night,  after  a  fa- 
tiguing day's  service,  I  remembered  that  I  had  failed 
to  send  you  my  contribution  for  our  colored  Sunday- 
school.  Enclosed  you  will  find  my  check  for  that  ob- 
ject, which  please  acknowledge  at  your  earliest  conven- 
ience, and  oblige  yours  faithfully,     T.  J.  Jackson." 

This  little  note  is  a  revelation  of  character.  It  is 
remarkable,  not  so  much  for  what  it  says  as  for  what 
it  does  not  say.  Not  a  word  in  it  about  the  battle  or 
about  himself — he  who  turned  the  defeat  into  victory. 
In  that  hour  of  triumph  his  heart  turned  away  from  tiie 
field  to  the  poor  negro  children  whom  he  had  been  ac- 
customed to  teach  in  the  Sunday-school  in  Lexington. 

In  his  next  letter  General  Jackson  writes  :  "  I  have 
received  a  circular  to  the  effect  that  two  professors 
must  return  to  the  Institute  at  the  opening  of  the 
session,  the  1st  of  September,  and  that  if  that  number 
do  not  consent  to  return,  the  Board  of  Visitors  will 
designate  two ;  and  if  they  decline,  their  seats  will 
thereby  be  declared  vacant,  and  the  board  Avould  fill 
them.  I  declined  returning.  How  would  3^ou  like 
going  back  to  Lexington  in  September,  and  staying 
there  for  the  remainder  of  the  war  ?  .  .  .  I  am  glad 
that  the  battle  [First  Manassas]  was  fought  on  your 
birthday,  so  you  can  never  tell  me  any  more  that  I 
forget  your  birthday.  See  if  I  don't  always  remem- 
ber it,  though  I  do  not  my  own.  If  General  Lee  re- 
mains in  the  Northwest,  I  would  like  to  go  there  and 
give  my  feeble  aid,  as  an  humble  instrument  in  the 
hand  of  Providence  in  retrieving  the  downtrodden 
loyalty  of  that  part  of  my  native  State.  But  I  desire 
to  be  wherever  those  over  rae  may  decide,  and  I  am 


NEVER  ABSENT  FROM  DUTY.  183 

content  here.  The  success  of  our  cause  is  the  earthly 
object  near  my  heart ;  and,  if  I  know  myself,  all  I  am 
and  have  is  at  the  service  of  my  country."  About 
this  time  he  wrote  to  his  friend,  Colonel  Eennett,  First 
Auditor  of  the  Commonwealth : 

"  My  hopes  for  our  section  of  the  State  have  greatly 
brightened  since  General  Lee  has  gone  there.  Some- 
thing brilliant  may  be  expected  in  that  region. 
Should  you  ever  have  occasion  to  ask  for  a  brigade 
from  this  array  for  the  Northwest,  I  hope  mine  will 
be  the  one  selected.  This  of  course  is  confidential,  as 
it  is  my  duty  to  serve  wherever  I  may  be  placed,  and 
I  desire  to  be  always  where  most  needed.  But  it  is 
natural  for  one's  affections  to  turn  to  the  home  of  his 
boyhood  and  family." 

August  ITth  he  writes  to  his  wife  : 

..."  You  want  to  know  whether  I  could  get  a  fur- 
lough. My  darling,  I  can't  be  absent  from  my  com- 
mand, as  my  attention  is  necessary  in  preparing  my 
troops  for  hard  fighting  should  it  be  required  ;  and  as 
my  officers  and  soldiers  are  not  permitted  to  go  and 
see  their  wives  and  families,  I  ought  not  to  see  my 
esposita^  as  it  might  make  the  troops  feel  that  they 
were  badly  treated,  and  that  I  consult  ray  own  pleas- 
ure and  comfort  regardless  of  theirs  :  so  you  had 
better  stay  at  Cottage  Home  for  the  present,  as  I  do 
not  know  how  long  I  shall  remain  here." 

From  the  time  he  entered  the  array  at  the  begin- 
niner  of  the  war  he  never  asked  or  received  a  fur- 


184      LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

lough,  was  never  absent  from  duty  for  a  single  day, 
whether  sick  or  well,  and  never  slept  one  night  out- 
side the  lines  of  his  own  command. 

August  22d  he  writes :  "  Don't  you  wish  your 
esposo  would  get  sick,  and  have  to  get  a  sick  leave 
and  go  home,  so  that  j^ou  couldn't  envy  sister  Sue  ? 
Sickness  may  compel  me  for  a  time  to  retire  from 
camp,  but,  through  the  blessing  of  God,  I  have  been 
able  to  continue  in  command  of  my  brigade.  .  .  . 
Still  much  remains  undone  that  I  desire  to  see  effected. 
But  in  a  short  time  I  hope  to  be  more  instrumental  in 
serving  my  country.  Every  officer  and  soldier  who  is 
able  to  do  duty  ought  to  be  busily  engaged  in  mil- 
itary preparation  by  hard  drilling,  in  order  that, 
through  the  blessing  of  God,  we  may  be  victorious  in 
the  battles  which  in  His  all-wise  providence  may  await 
us.  I  wish  my  darling  could  be  with  me  now  and 
enjoy  the  sweet  music  of  the  brass  band  of  the  Fifth 
Regiment.     It  is  an  excellent  band." 

He  dehghted  in  listening  to  music,  both  instrumental 
and  vocal,  but  he  had  so  little  talent  for  it  that  it  was 
Avith  difficulty  he  could  distinguish  tunes.  AVhen  he 
learned  that  the  tune  of  "  Dixie  "  had  been  adopted  by 
the  Confederates  as  a  national  air,  he  felt  that  he  ought 
to  be  able  to  know  it  when  he  heard  it,  so  during  the 
lirst  visit  I  paid  liim  in  camp  he  requested  mo  to  sing 
the  air  to  him  until  he  could  impress  it  upon  his  mem- 
ory, so  as  to  be  able  to  recognize  it.  It  was  a  tedious 
service,  and  became  so  perfectly  ridiculous  from  his 
oft-repeated  command  of  "again"  and  "again"  that 
it  finally  ended  in  hearty  laughter  on  l)(»1h  sides. 


AT   FAIRFAX   COURT-HOUSE.  185 

In  liis  letter  be  continues  : 

"  Don't  put  any  faith  in  the  assertion  that  there 
will  be  no  more  fighting  till  October.  It  may  not  be 
till  then ;  and  God  grant  that,  if  consistent  with  His 
will,  it  may  never  be.  Surely,  I  desire  no  more,  if  our 
country's  independence  can  be  secured  without  it.  As 
I  said  before  leaving  my  darling,  so  sa}^  I  now,  that  if 
I  fight  for  my  country,  it  is  from  a  sense  of  duty — 
a  hope  that  through  the  blessing  of  Providence  I 
may  be  enabled  to  serve  her,  and  not  merely  because 
I  prefer  the  strife  of  battle  to  the  peaceful  enjoyments 
of  home.  .  .  .  Yesterday  the  enemy  drove  in  our  pick- 
ets, and  General  Longstreet  sent  me  a  request  to  move 
forward  with  my  brigade,  and  the  consequence  was 
that  after  advancing  beyond  Fairfax  Court-IIouse  six 
miles  it  turned  out  that  the  enem}"^  did  not  intend  to 
attack,  and  I  had  a  ride  of  twelve  miles  for  nothing ; 
and  my  wounded  finger  suffered  from  it,  but  I  trust, 
with  the  blessing  of  an  ever-kind  Providence,  it  will 
soon  be  well.  I  meet  with  a  number  of  old  army 
friends  and  some  of  my  classmates,  which  is  quite  a 
pleasure.  The  country  about  Fairfax  Court  House  is 
beautiful.  As  I  came  in  sight  of  the  place,  the  sun 
was  near  setting,  and  with  its  mellowed  light  greatly 
contributed  to  beautify  the  scenery.  I  am  writing 
under  a  Sibley  tent,  which  is  of  a  conical  form,  so 
constructed  as  to  allow  fire  to  be  used,  having  an 
opening  at  the  top  for  the  escape  of  smoke;  though 
as  yet  I  have  had  ray  fires  in  the  house.  The  weather 
is  quite  cool  at  night.  What  do  you  think?  This 
morning  I  had  a  kind  of  longing  to  see  our  lot — not 
our  house,  for  I  did  not  want  to  enter  its  desolate 


186      LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

chambers,  as  it  would  be  too  sad  not  to  find  my  little 
sunshine  there." 


From  Camp  Harman,  near  Manassas,  he  wrote : 

"  Yesterday  I  received  two  letters  from  one  little 
jewel  of  mine  at  Cottage  Home,  and  1  am  just  going 
to  read  them  over  and  over  again  and  answer.  First, 
•in  reference  to  coming  to  see  your  efposo,  what  would 
you  do  for  privacy  in  camp?  I  tell  you  there  are 
more  inconveniences  attending  camp  life  for  a  lady 
than  little  pet  is  aware  of;  and  worst  of  all  is  the 
danger  you  might  encounter  in  such  a  trip,  as  the  cars 
are  so  crowded  with  soldiers.  But  I  would  dearlv 
love  to  have  my  darling  here  at  this  time,  and  think  I 
might  probably  be  able  to  get  a  room  for  you  with  a 
kind  family  in  whose  yard  I  have  my  tent.  The 
family  is  exceedingly  obliging,  and  we  could  have  de- 
lightful times  together,  as  I  have  to  stay  about  quar- 
ters on  account  of  my  wounded  finger.  However, 
through  the  blessing  of  an  ever-kind  Providence,  it  is 
now  much  improved.  Should  there  be  a  good  escort 
coming  on  and  returning,  little  one  can  come ;  but  you 
must  not  spare  any  expense  in  making  your  trip  com- 
fortable. You  must  hire  a  carriage  whenever  you 
haven't  a  safe  and  good  conveyance,  in  the  event  of 
your  coming.  Last  Sabbath  Dr.  Pendleton  preached 
at  my  headquarters  in  the  morning,  and  TJev.  Peyton 
Harrison  preached  in  the  evening.  ...  If  the  war  is 
carried  on  witli  vigor,  I  think  that,  under  the  blessing 
of  God,  it  will  not  last  long,  though  we  may  frequently 
have  little  local  troubles  along  the  frontier.  .  .  .  At 
present  it  would  be  improper  for  me  to  be  absent 


PERMISSION   TO  PAY    IIIM   A  VISIT.  137 

from  my  brigade  a  single  day,  but  just  as  soon  as  duty 
will  permit  I  hope  to  see  my  sunshiny  face.  The  rea- 
son of  my  changing  my  advice  about  your  coming  was 
probably  in  consequence  of  orders  respecting  a  march. 
Within  the  last  three  weeks  I  have  had  to  march  off 
several  times,  but  in  each  case  I  have  been  privileged 
to  return  to  my  present  encampment,  where  I  desire 
to  stay  as  long  as  I  am  to  remain  inactive,  for  it  is  the 
best  encampment  I  have  had.  We  are  blessed  with 
excellent  water  and  a  good  drill-ground.  Little  one 
can  come  on  with  the  tli-st  good  oj^portunity,  if  she  is 
willing  to  bear  the  unexpected  occurrences  of  war.  I 
know  not  one  day  what  will  take  place  the  next,  but  I 
do  know  that  I  am  your  doting  esj>oso.^^ 

It  was  my  good  fortune  to  find  an  escort  to  the  army, 
and  I  joyfully  set  out,  in  compliance  with  my  husband's 
somewhat  doubtful  permission,  to  pay  him  k  visit.  But 
he  was  not  mistaken  in  apprehending  the  difficulties  I 
should  encounter,  as  will  be  seen  by  my  experience  in 
makingthis  journey  through  a  beleaguered  country.  We 
reached  Richmond  safely  and  without  much  discomfort, 
but  no  one  was  permitted  to  leave  without  a  passjwrt,' 
which  the  government  was  exceedingly  strict  in  grant- 
ing to  men  unless  they  were  engaged  in  the  service  of  the 
army  or  Avere  going  into  it.  Unfortunately,  my  young 
man  did  not  come  under  either  head  (although  he  wa's 
going  upon  an  inspecting  tour  with  a  view  to  finding 
some  position  among  his  friends),  so  he  was  refused  a 
passport !  Like  most  of  the  Southern  ladies  in  ante- 
hdlum  times,  I  was  unaccustomed  to  travelling  alone, 
and  my  husband  was  much  opposed  to  my  doing  so. 
However,  after  coming  so  near  to  him  (and  yet  so  far !) 


188  LIFE   OF   GENERAL   THOMAS   J.  JACKSOxV. 

I  could  not  give  up  this  long-coveted  opportunity  of 
seeing  him,  and  I  determined  to  venture  on  my  way 
alone.  So  after  telegraphing  him  to  meet  me  at  Ma- 
nassas, I  started  with  my  passport  as  bravely  as  I 
could,  yet  filled  with  apprehension  —  the  cars  being 
crowded  with  soldiers,  and  scarcely  a  woman  to  be 
seen.  An  hour  or  two  after  leaving  Richmond,  what 
was  my  joy  and  relief  to  see  a  friend  from  Charlotte, 
North  Carolina,  passing  through  the  car!  I  sprang 
from  my  seat  and  rushed  after  him,  and  from  that 
moment  my  mind  was  at  ease,  for  Captain  J.  Harvey 
White  (a  gallant  officer,  who  afterwards  fell  in  defence 
of  his  country)  verified  in  my  case  the  old  proverb,  ''A 
friend  in  need  is  a  friend  indeed."  M}"  husband  failed 
to  receive  my  telegram  in  time  to  meet  me  at  Manas- 
sas, and,  finding  no  accommodation  there  for  a  lady. 
Captain  White  was  unwilling  to  leave  me  without  pro- 
tection, and  advised  me  to  go  on  with  him  to  Fairfax 
Station,  thinking  that  point  was  still  nearer  to  General 
Jackson's  headquarters.  However,  my  husband  did 
arrive  at  Manassas  very  soon  after  we  passed  on.  and  it 
was  then  too  late,  and  the  distance  too  great  for  him 
to  follow  us  that  night.  Fairfax  Station  we  found 
converted  into  a  vast  military  canij),  the  place  teem- 
ing- with  soldiers,  and  the  only  house  visible  from  the 
depot  being  used  as  a  hospital.  Not  a  place  to  accom- 
modate a  lady  was  to  be  found,  so  I  was  compelled  to 
spend  the  night  in  the  car  in  which  I  came  up,  the 
train  remaining  stationary  there  until  the  next  morn- 
ing. One  other  female,  a  plain,  good  woman,  who  was 
in  search  of  a  sick  relative  among  the  soldiers,  was  of 
the  party,  and  Captain  White,  our  kind  j)rotector.  A 
lady  seemed  to  be  a  great  curiosity  to  the  soldiers. 


MEETING   AFTER   FIVE  MONTHS'  SEPARATION.         1S9 

scores  of  whom  filed  through  the  car  to  take  a  look, 
until  the  annoyance  became  so  great  that  Captain 
White  locked  the  doors.  The  next  morning:  was  the 
Sabbath,  and  as  Captain  White  was  hastening  to  a 
sick  brother,  he  was  compelled  to  go  on  his  mission, 
but  he  first  procured  for  me  a  small  room,  which  was 
vacated  for  a  few  hours  just  for  my  accommodation,  in 
the  house  that  was  used  as  a  hospital.  There  was  no 
lock  on  the  door,  and  the  tramp  of  men's  feet,  as  they 
passed  continually  to  and  fro  and  threatened  entrance, 
was  not  conducive  to  a  peaceful  frame  of  mind ;  and 
the  outlook  was  still  more  dismal,  the  one  small  win- 
dow in  the  room  revealing  the  spectacle  of  a  number 
of  soldiers  in  the  yard,  busily  engaged  in  making  cojjins 
for  their  dead  comrades!  I  was  all  alone,  and  had 
nothing  to  read,  so  it  can  be  imagined  that  the  few 
anxious  and  dreary  hours  spent  in  that  little  place  of 
horrors  seemed  an  age,  and  my  relief  and  happi- 
ness were  truly  inexpressible  when  the  brightest  vision 
that  could  be  to  me  on  earth  appeared  in  the  person  of 
ray  dear  husband,  whom  I  had  not  seen  for  five  months. 
He  drove  up  in  an  ambulance,  and,  taking  me  in,  w^e 
were  speedily  driven  to  his  headquarters.  Arrived 
there,  Ave  found  his  w^hole  brigade  assembled  for  di- 
vine worship,  and  the  venerable  Bishop  Johns  was  just 
about  to  begin  service  in  a  small  farm-house  on  the 
grounds.  A  delay  was  made  in  order  to  give  us  time 
to  get  into  the  house  and  be  seated  ;  and  all  the  staff- 
officers,  and  it  seemed  to  me  a  host  of  others,  came 
forward  to  welcome  their  general's  Avife,  much  to  my 
embarrassment,  for  I  felt  most  unpresentable  after  my 
experience  of  the  preceding  night. 

The  bishop  conducted  a  delightful  service  in  the 


190  LIFE   OF   GENERAL   THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

porch  of  the  house,  and  the  soldiers  swarmed  around 
him  like  bees,  standing  and  sitting  in  the  grass}"  yard. 
It  was  an  interesting  and  imposing  scene.  The  bri- 
gade was  encamped  on  a  beautiful  hill  near  Cen- 
treville,  and  General  Jackson's  tent  was  in  the  yard 
of  the  farm  -  house  at  which  he  secured  lodging  dur- 
ing my  visit.  It  was  a  grand  spectacle  to  view 
from  the  crest  of  the  hill  the  encampment  of  that 
splendid  Stonewall  Brigade,  especiall}'  at  night,  when 
the  camp-fires  were  lighted.  I  met  there  for  the  first 
time  General  Joseph  E.  Johnston,  and  was  much 
impressed  Avith  his  soldierl}'^  appearance  and  pol- 
ished manners.  Indeed,  the  officers  and  soldiers  gen- 
erally made  the  impression  of  fine  specimens  of  the 
Southern  gentleman,  and  the  grand  review  of  the 
whole  of  General  Johnston's  command  was  the  most 
imposing  military  display  that  I  had  ever  witnessed. 
General  Jackson  was  justly  proud  of  his  brigade,  and 
their  affection  for  him  was  beautiful  to  behold.  They 
all  felt  so  inspirited  by  the  great  victory  they  had  just 
gained,  and  their  general's  part  in  it  was  rehearsed 
with  pride  by  every  one  who  called  upon  his  wife, 
while  Ac,  with  his  characteristic  modesty,  gave  all  the 
credit  to  his  noble  men. 

He  took  me  over  the  battle-field  of  Manassas.  There 
was  nothing  remarkable  about  the  ground,  which  was 
somewhat  undulating,  with  many  open  spaces  and 
pine-trees.  Bull  Kun  is  a  small,  insignificant  stream. 
General  Pendleton  accompanied  us  in  the  ambulance, 
and  both  officers  explained  the  different  positions  and 
movements  of  the  two  armies,  and  talked  the  battle 
over  in  a  very  interesting  manner.  Much  of  the  Jvlnus 
of  the  conflict  still  remained :  the  old  Henry  house 


VISIT  TO  THE  BATTLE-FIELD.  191 

was  riddled  with  shot  and  shell ;  the  carcasses  of  the 
liorses,  and  even  some  of  the  bones  of  the  poor  human 
victims,  were  to  be  seen.  It  was  difficult  to  realize 
that  these  now  silent  plains  had  so  recently  been  the 
scene  of  a  great  battle,  and  that  here  the  Reaper 
Death  had  gathered  such  a  harvest  of  precious  lives, 
many  of  whom  were  the  very  flower  of  our  Southern 
youth  and  manhood. 

All  was  quiet  in  the  army  during  my  visit,  and  al- 
though my  husband  was  unremitting  in  his  duties  to 
his  command,  yet  he  had  sufficient  leisure  to  devote 
to  my  pleasure  to  make  the  time  pass  most  delight- 
fully. We  had  a  nice  room  in  a  kind,  obliging  fam- 
ily named  Utterbach,  and  I  took  my  meals  with  him 
and  his  staff  at  their  mess-table  under  the  trees.  The 
fare  was  plain,  but,  with  the  exception  of  the  absence 
of  milk,  it  was  abundant  and  substantial.  His  staff- 
officers  were  all  most  agreeable  and  intelligent  gentle- 
men. His  cook  at  that  time  was  a  very  black  negro, 
a  hired  man  named  George,  who  so  felt  the  importance 
of  his  position  as  the  head  of  the  culinary  department 
at  headquarters  that  his  boast  was :  "  I  outranks  all 
de  niggers  in  dis  army !"  Every  moment  of  the  time 
I  was  privileged  to  remain  was  full  of  content  and  en- 
joyment, and  that  camp  life  had  a  charm  for  me  that 
I  never  would  have  broken  myself.  But  all  things 
have  to  come  to  an  en,d  in  this  fleeting  world,  and  my 
delightful  visit  shared  this  fate  all  too  soon — the  army 
being  ordered  to  change  its  location  in  less  than  a  fort- 
night after  my  arrival — and  I  was  sent  back  sorrow- 
fully to  North  Carolina. 

My  visit  was  made  in  September,  and  General  Jack- 
son's next  letter  was  written  the  24th  of  that  month : 


192      LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

"  I  am  going  to  write  a  letter  to  my  darling  pet  e/ijpo- 
sita,  who  paid  me  such  a  sweet  visit,  and  whose  dear 
face  I  can  still  see,  though  she  is  'way  down  in  the 
Old  Xorth  State.  If  ray  darling  were  here,  I  know 
she  would  enjoy  General  Jones's  band,  Avhich  plays 
very  sweetly.  We  are  still  at  the  same  encampment 
as  when  you  left,  and  I  have  the  promise  of  three 
more  wall  tents.  Yesterday  Rev.  Dr.  William  Brown 
visited  Munson's  Hill,  and  took  a  peep  at  the  Yankees. 
.  .  .  The  Board  of  Visitors  of  the  Institute  met  in  Rich- 
mond, and  decided  if  the  professors  did  not  return 
they  would  fill  their  places,  superintendents  and  all. 
Suppose  they  ask  you  to  go  back.  Are  you  going  to 
do  so,  or  will  you  let  them  fill  your  chair?  Colonel 
Echols  returned  this  morning,  but  does  not  bring,  to 
our  finite  minds,  very  good  news.  General  Floyd  was 
only  about  thirty  miles  west  of  Lewisburg,  and  General 
Wise  was  fifteen  miles  in  advance  of  him.  General  Lee, 
with  four  regiments,  had  gone  on  to  General  AVise." 

"  Monday  morning.  This  is  a  beautiful  and  lovely 
morning — beautiful  emblem  of  the  morning  of  eter- 
nity in  heaven.  I  greatly  enjoy  it  after  our  cold, 
chilly  weather,  which  has  made  rae  feel  doubtful  of 
my  capacity,  humanly  speaking,  to  endure  the  cam- 
paign, should  we  remain  long  in  tents.  But  God,  our 
God,  does,  and  will  do,  all  things  well ;  and  if  it  is  His 
pleasure  that  I  should  remain  in  the  field,  He  will  give 
me  the  ability  to  endure  all  its  fatigues.  I  hope  my 
little  sunshiny  face  is  as  bright  as  this  lovely  day. 
Yesterday  I  heard  a  good  sermon  from  the  chaplain 
of  the  Second  Regiment,  and  at  night  I  went  over  to 
Colonel  Garland's  regiment  of  Longstreet's  Brigade, 


SERMON   OF   DR.  DABNEY.  193 

and  heard  an  excellent  sermon  from  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Granberry,  of  the  Methodist  church,  of  Avhom  you 
may  have  heard  me  speak  in  times  past."  .  .  . 

"  26th.  I  did  not  have  room  enough  in  my  last  let- 
ter, nor  have  I  time  this  morning,  to  write  as  much  as 
I  desired  about  Dr.  Dabney's  sermon  yesterday.  His 
text  was  from  Acts,  seventh  chapter  and  fifth  verse. 
He  stated  that  the  Avord  God  being  in  italics  indicated 
that  it  was  not  in  the  original,  and  he  thought  it  would 
have  been  better  not  to  have  been  in  the  translation. 
It  would  then  have  read :  '  Calling  upon  and  saying, 
Lord  Jesus,  receive  my  spirit.'  He  spoke  of  Stephen, 
the  first  martyr  under  the  new  dispensation,  like  Abel, 
the  first  under  the  old,  dying  by  the  hand  of  violence, 
and  then  drew  a  graphic  picture  of  his  probably  broken 
limbs,  mangled  flesh  and  features,  conspiring  to  height- 
en his  agonizing  sufferings.  But  in  the  midst  of  this 
intense  pain,  God,  in  His  infinite  wisdom  and  mercy, 
permitted  him  to  see  the  heavens  opened,  so  that  he 
might  behold  the  glory  of  God,  and  Jesus,  of  whom 
he  was  speaking,  standing  on  the  right  hand  of  God. 
Was  not  such  a  heavenly  vision  enough  to  make  him 
forgetful  of  his  sufferings?  He  beautifully  and  forci- 
bly described  the  death  of  the  righteous,  and  as  forci- 
bly that  of  the  wicked.  .  .  . 

"  Strangers  as  well  as  Lexington  friends  are  very 
kind  to  me.  I  think  about  eight  days  since  a  gentle- 
man sent  me  a  half -barrel  of  tomatoes,  bread,  etc., 
and  I  received  a  letter,  I  am  inclined  to  think  from 
the  same,  desiring  directions  how  to  send  a  second 
supply.  I  received  from  Colonel  Ruff  a  box  of  beau- 
tifully packed  and  delicately  flavored  plums;  also  a 
13 


194  LIFE   OF   GENERAL   THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

bottle  of  blackberry  vinegar  from  the  Misses  B . 

What  I  need  is  a  more  grateful  heart  to  the  '  Giver  of 
every  good  and  perfect  gift.'  " 

"  Camp  near  Fairfax  Court-House,  Oct.  1st. 
"  Yesterday  I  rode  down  to  the  station,  and  while 
there  President  Davis,  very  unexpectedly  to  me,  ar- 
rived in  a  single  car ;  the  remaining  part  of  the  train, 
I  suppose,  stopped  at  the  Junction  to  unload.  He 
looked  quite  thin.  His  reception  was  a  hearty  cheer 
from  the  troops.  He  took  his  seat  in  an  ambulance- 
like carriage,  and  as  he  passed  on  his  way  to  the  Court- 
House  the  air  rang  with  the  soldiers'  welcoming  cheers. 
He  was  soon  met  by  a  troop  of  horse,  and  a  horse  for 
himself.  Leaving  his  carriage  and  mounting  his  horse, 
he  proceeded  on  his  Avay,  escorted  by  the  cavalry, 
about  four  thousand  of  the  First  Corps  (General 
Beauregard).  The  troops  belonged  to  Generals  Long- 
street,  D.  R.  Jones,  and  Pliilip  St.  George  Cocke.  It 
was  quite  an  imposing  pageant."  .  .  . 

"  Yesterday  I  saw  President  Davis  review.  He 
took  up  his  (juarters  with  General  Beauregard,  where, 
in  company  with  Colonels  Preston,  Harmon,  and  Ech- 
ols, I  called  upon  him  this  morning  at  about  half-past 
ten  o'clock.  He  looks  thin,  but  does  not  seem  to  be 
as  feeble  as  yesterday.  His  voice  and  manners  are 
very  mild.  I  saw  no  exhibition  of  that  lire  which  I 
had  supposed  him  to  possess.  The  President  intro- 
duced the  subject  of  the  condition  of  my  section  of  the 
State,  but  did  not  even  so  much  as  intimate  that  he 
designed  sending  me  there.  I  told  him,  when  he 
spoke  of  my  native  region,  that  I  felt  a  very  deep  in- 


LETTERS   TO   HIS   WIFE. 


195 


terest  in  it.     He  spoke  hopefully  of  that  section,  and 
highly  of  General  Lee." 

"  October  14th.  I  am  going  to  write  a  letter  to  the 
very  sweetest  little  woman  I  know,  the  only  sweet- 
heart I  have ;  can  you  guess  who  she  is  ?  I  tell  you, 
I  would  like  to  see  my  sunshine,  even  this  brightest 
of  days.  My  finger  has  been  healed  over  for  some 
time,  and  I  am  blest  by  an  ever -kind  Providence 
with  the  use  of  it,  though  it  is  still  partially  stiff.  I 
hope,  however,  in  the  course  of  time,  that  I  shall  be 
again  blest  with  its  perfect  use.  ...  If  I  get  into 
winter- quarters,  will  little  ex -Anna  Morrison  come 
and  keep  house  for  me,  and  stay  with  me  till  the  open- 
ing of  the  campaign  of  1862  ?  Now,  remember,  I  don't 
Avant  to  change  housekeepers.  I  want  the  same  one 
all  the  time.  I  am  very  thankful  to  that  God  who 
withholds  no  good  thing  from  me  (though  I  am  so 
utterly  unworthy  and  ungrateful)  for  making  me  a 
major-general  in  the  Provisional  Army  of  the  Confed- 
erate States.  The  commission  dates  from  the  7th  of 
October."  .  .  . 

"  October  15th.    The  enemy  are  gradually  approach- 
ing us." 

"  Centkevillk,  Oct.  21st. 
"  For  several  days  your  esposo  has  been  here,  and 
has  an  extra  nice  room,  the  parlor  of  a  Mr.  Grigsby, 
who  has  promised  that  he  will  also  let  me  have  another 
room  for  my  chamber,  and  then  I  can  use  the  parlor 
for  my  office.  He  has  very  kindly  offered  me  the  use 
of  his  library.  The  walls  of  his  parlor  are  hung  with 
pictures  and  paintings,  including  large  portraits  on 


196  LIFE   OF   GENERAL   THOMAS   J.  JACKSON. 

opposite  sides,  I  suppose  of  the  esjmso  and  esjwsa.  The 
carpet  has  been  removed,  but  an  abundance  of  seats 
have  been  left,  two  settees  among  tliem.  Mr.  Grigsby 
is  apparently  a  man  of  much  character,  and  I  am  very 
much  pleased  with  him.  His  wife  is  delicate,  and  two 
of  his  sons  have  typhoid  fever,  but  are  past  the  crit- 
ical stage  of  the  disease.  He  has  not  yet  consented 
to  my  staff  moving  into  the  house,  probably  for  fear 
of  disturbing  the  sick.  Colonel  Jones  has  resigned 
and  gone  home,  and  Mr.  Marshall  went  with  him. 
They  are  both  nice  gentlemen." 

"  Centreville,  Oct.  22d. 
...  "I  am  going  to  tell  you  just  where  your  esposo 
is  living  for  the  present.  Starting  from  Mr.  Utter- 
bach's  on  the  Warrenton  road  towards  the  battle- 
ground of  Manassas,  a  street  turns  off  to  the  right 
from  the  Warrenton  road.  Following  the  street 
about  one  hundred  yards  brings  you  to  a  large  stone 
house,  with  four  chimneys,  on  the  right-hand  side  of 
the  road.  Passing  up  a  flight  of  steps  of  nearly  eight 
feet  brings  you  into  the  porch,  after  crossing  which 
you  enter  a  hall  about  ten  feet  wide,  and  you  have 
only  to  come  into  the  first  door  on  your  right  if  you 
wish  to  see  your  husband,  seated  on  the  left  of  a 
hickory  fire,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  room,  wi'it- 
ing  to  his  sweetheart,  or  to  his  esposita,  whichever 
you  may  choose  to  call  her.  Looking  around  the 
room,  you  will  see  upon  the  mantel  a  statuette  of  a 
mother  with  a  child  in  her  arms,  an  oil  painting  of 
a  beautiful  boy,  a  globe  lamp,  two  candelabra,  and 
two  vases.  Above  the  mantel  are  two  rose  pictures. 
On  either  side  of  the  fireplace  is  a  window,  and  on 


BEFORE   HIS  HICKORY   FIRE.  197 

the  left  of  tbe  fire  are  a  pair  of  bellows  and  a  large 
shovel.  On  the  right  are  a  pair  of  tongs,  and  a  hand- 
some feather  broom  for  your  esposo  to  sweep  the 
hearth  with.  So  far  I  have  described  only  the  south- 
ern wall.  Turning  your  eyes  to  the  right,  you  will 
see  two  windows  on  the  western  wall,  looking 
towards  the  battle-ground  of  the  21st  July.  On  the 
left  end  of  this  wall  hangs  the  celebrated  oil  paint- 
ing, '  Beatrice  Cenci.'  Between  the  windows  is  a 
large  portrait  (as  I  suppose)  of  Mrs.  Grigsby.  On 
the  right  of  the  right-hand  window  is  a  landscape 
painting.  Upon  the  northern  wall  to  the  left  of  the 
door  is  a  picture,  '  The  Evening  Prayer,'  Avith  tbe  in- 
vocation, '  Defend  us  from  all  perils  and  dangers  of 
the  night.'  Kear  this  hangs  a  thermometer.  On 
the  right  of  the  door  are  two  other  works  of  art,  and 
between  them  is  the  library  desk,  which  is  kindly 
placed  at  my  disposal.  Upon  the  eastern  wall,  left 
end,  is  a  picture  of  'Holyrood,'  Near  it,  but  on  the 
right,  is  a  large  portrait  of  Mr.  Grigsby.  About 
the  centre  of  the  wall  is  a  large  mirror — on  its  right 
is  a  picture  called  '  Innocence ' — and  here  is  your 
loving  husband ! 

..."  Our  success  at  Leesburg  reflected  credit  upon 
Colonel  Evans  and  his  heroic  brigade. 

...  "I  have  written  to  Colonel  Preston,  of  Lex- 
ington, to  join  me.  My  desire  is  to  get  a  staff  spe- 
cially qualified  for  their  duties,  and  that  will  render 
the  greatest  possible  amount  of  service  to  their 
country.  Last  night,  Drs.  White  and  McFarland 
reached  here  and  are  staying  with  me.  They  are 
just  from  Synod  at  Petersburg,  and  give  a  very 
gratifying  account  of  things  there.     Dr.  McFarland 


198     LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

is  a  noble  specimen  of  character."  This  was  the  Eev. 
Dr.  Francis  McFarland.  Dr.  White  (General  Jack- 
son's pastor)  had  come  at  his  invitation  to  preach 
to  his  command.  Dr.  Dabney  thus  describes  the 
visit : 

"  They  arrived  at  nightfall,  and  found  the  com- 
mander-in-chief on  the  spot,  communicating  in  person 
some  important  orders.  General  Jackson  merely 
paused  to  give  them  the  most  hurried  salutation  con- 
sistent with  respect,  and  without  a  moment's  dallying 
passed  on  to  execute  his  duties.  After  a  length  of 
time  he  returned,  all  the  work  of  the  evening  com- 
pleted, and  renewed  his  welcome  with  a  beaming 
face  and  warm  abandon  of  manner,  heaping  upon 
them  affectionate  attentions,  and  inquiring  after  all 
their  households.  Dr.  White  spent  five  days  and 
nights  with  him,  preaching  daily.  In  the  general's 
quarters  he  found  his  morning  and  evening  Avorship 
as  regularly  held  as  it  had  been  at  home.  Jackson 
modestly  proposed  to  his  pastor  to  lead  in  this 
worship,  which  he  did  until  the  last  evening  of  his 
stay ;  when,  to  the  usual  request  of  prayers,  he 
answered  :  '  General,  you  have  often  prayed  with  and 
for  me  at  home ;  be  so  kind  as  to  do  so  to-night.' 
Without  a  word  of  objection,  Jackson  took  the  sacred 
volume,  and  read  and  prayed.  '  And  never  while  life 
lasts,'  said  the  pastor,  '  can  I  forget  that  prayer.  He 
thanked  God  for  sending  me  to  visit  the  army,  and 
prayed  that  He  would  own  and  bless  my  ministra- 
tions, both  to  officers  and  privates,  so  that  many 
souls  might  be  saved.  He  gave  thanks  for  what  it 
had  pleased  God  to  do  for  the  church  in  Lexington, 


HIS   FERVOR    IX    PRAYER.  ^gg 

"to  which  both  of  us  belong"— specially  for  the  re- 
vivals  lie   had   mercifully  granted   to   that   church, 
and  for  the  many  preachers  of  the  Gospel  sent  forth 
from  it.     He  then  prayed  for  the  pastor,  and  every 
member   of   his   family,  for   the   ruling   elders,   the 
deacons,   and   the   private   members  of   the   church, 
such  as  were  at  home,  and  especially  such  as  then 
belonged  to  the  army.     He  then  pleaded  with  such 
tenderness  and  fervor  that   God  would   baptize  the 
whole  army  with  His  holy  spirit,  that  my  own  hartl 
heart  was  melted  into  penitence,  gratitude,  and  praise. 
When  we  had  risen  from  our  knees  he  stood  before 
his  camp  fire  with  that   calm  dignity  of  mien   and 
tender  expression  of  countenance  for  which  he  was 
so  remarkable,  and  said:    "Doctor,  I  would  be  glad 
to  learn  more  fully  than  I  have  yet  done  what  your 
views  are  of  the  prayer  of  faith  ?" '     A  conversation 
then  commenced,  Avhich  was  continued  long  after  the 
hour  of  midnight,  in  which,  it  is  candidly°confessed, 
the   pastor   received    more   instruction    than    he   im- 
parted." 

Dr.  White  was  with  him  when  he  received  his 
order  to  go  to  his  new  command  of  the  Valley  Dis- 
trict, and  after  reading  it  he  handed  it  to  his  pastor, 
saying:  "Such  a  degree  of  public  confidence  and  re- 
spect as  puts  it  in  one's  power  to  serve  his  country 
should  be  accepted  and  prized ;  but,  apart  from  that, 
promotion  among  men  is  only  a  temptation  and  a 
trouble.  Had  this  communication  not  come  as  an 
order^  I  should  instantly  have  declined  it,  and  con- 
tinued in  command  of  my  brave  old  brigade." 

To  his  wife  he  wrote  on  the  4th  of  November: 


200  LIFE    OF   GENERAL   THOMA»  J.  JACKSON. 

"  This  morning  I  received  orders  to  proceed  to 
Winchester.  I  am  assigned  to  the  command  of  the 
mihtary  district  of  the  Northern  frontier,  between 
the  Blue  Ridge  and  the  Alleghany  Mountains,  and  I 
hope  to  have  my  little  dove  with  me  this  winter. 
How  do  you  like  the  programme  ?  I  trust  I  may  be 
able  to  send  for  you  after  I  get  settled.  I  don't  ex- 
pect much  sleep  to-night,  as  my  desire  is  to  travel 
all  night,  if  necessary,  for  the  purpose  of  reaching 
Winchester  before  day  to-morrow.  My  trust  is  in 
God  for  the  defence  of  that  country  [the  Yalle}'^]. 
I  shall  have  great  labor  to  perform,  but,  through  the 
blessing  of  our  ever-kind  Heavenly  Father,  I  trust 
that  He  will  enable  me  to  accomplish  it.  Colonel 
Preston  and  Sandy  Pendleton  go  with  me." 

One  great  trial  to  him  in  going  to  this  new  field 
of  action  was  that  he  was  to  leave  behind  his  "  brave 
old  Brigade,"  as  they  were  not  included  in  the  order. 
An  article  in  the  Richmond  Dispatch  of  that  date 
thus  describes  the  separation  : 

"  The  writer  never  expects  to  witness  a  more  touch- 
ing scene.  Drawn  up  in  close  columns  stood  the  sub- 
altern officers  and  men  who  had  rushed  with  loud 
cheers  into  the  very  thickest  of  the  bloody  21st  of 
July  day,  and  opposed  with  the  combined  courage 
and  discipline  of  veterans  the  advance  of  the  con- 
fident foe — the  men  who  were  all  Virginia  troops,  and 
from  that  West  Augusta  to  which  Washington  had 
looked'  in  olden  days  as  the  last  refuge  of  indepen- 
dence. Proudly  had  they  vindicated  tlie  historic 
fame  of  their  section  at  Manassas,  and  now  they  had 


PARTING   FROM   HIS   OLD   BRIGADE.  201 

again  formed  to  say  'good-by'  to  their  loved  leader. 
The  glow  which  brightened  their  faces  and  lit  up  their 
flashing  eyes  in  tlie  fire  of  battle  was  gone.  They 
looked  like  children  separating  from  a  father;  and 
striking  indeed  to  those  who  saw  those  brave  men  in 
the  battle  was  the  contrast  in  their  bearing  then  and 
to-day.  Virginia  has  reason  to  be  proud  of  all  her 
troops,  but  to  Jackson's  brigade  she  owes  her  largest 
debt.  The  appearance  of  General  Jackson  was  re- 
ceived with  not  the  slightest  applause.  The  officers 
and  men  he  commanded  knew  for  what  purpose  they 
had  been  formed,  and  felt  not  like  cheering.  General 
Jackson  briefl}^  and  feelingly  addressed  his  assembled 
comrades  as  follows :  '  Officers  and  soldiers  of  the 
First  Brigade,  I  am  not  here  to  make  a  speech,  but 
simply  to  say  farewell.  I  first  met  you  at  Harper's 
Ferry  in  the  commencement  of  this  war,  and  I  can- 
not take  leave  of  you  without  giving  expression  to 
my  admiration  of  your  conduct  from  that  day  to  this, 
Avhether  on  the  march,  the  bivouac,  the  tented  field, 
or  on  the  bloody  plains  of  Manassas,  where  you  gained 
the  well-deserved  reputation  of  having  decided  the 
fate  of  the  battle.  Throughout  the  broad  extent  of 
country  over  Avhich  you  have  marched,  by  your  re- 
spect for  the  rights  and  property  of  citizens,  you  have 
shown  that  you  were  soldiers,  not  only  to  defend,  but 
able  and  willing  both  to  defend  and  protect.  You 
have  already  gained  a  brilliant  and  deservedly  high 
reputation  throughout  the  army  and  the  whole  Con- 
federacy, and  I  trust,  in  the  future,  by  your  own 
deeds  on  the  field  and  by  the  assistance  of  the  same 
kind  Providence  who  has  heretofore  favored  our 
cause,  that    you   will  gain   more   victories  and   add 


202  LIFE   OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

additional  lustre  to  the  reputation  you  now  enjoy. 
You  have  already  gained  a  proud  position  in  the 
history  of  this  our  second  war  of  independence.  I 
shall  look  with  great  anxiety  to  your  future  move- 
ments, and  I  trust  whenever  I  shall  hear  of  the  First 
Britjade  on  the  field  of  battle  it  will  be  of  still  nobler 
deeds  achieved  and  higher  reputation  won.' 

"  Here  General  Jackson,  rising  in  his  stirrups,  and 
casting  his  bridle  reins  upon  the  neck  of  his  steed, 
with  an  emphasis  which  seemed  to  thrill  throughout 
the  brigade,  said  :  '  In  the  Army  of  the  Shenandoah 
you  were  the  First  brigade ;  in  the  Array  of  the 
Potomac  you  were  the  First  brigade;  in  the  Second 
Corps  of  the  army  you  were  the  First  brigade ;  you 
are  the  First  brigade  in  the  affections  of  your  general ; 
and  I  hope  by  your  future  deeds  and  bearing  that 
you  will  be  handed  down  to  posterity  as  the  First 
brigade  in  this  our  second  War  of  Independence. 
Farewell!'  For  a  moment  there  was  a  pause,  and 
then  three  loud  and  prolonged  cheers  rent  the  air. 
It  was  followed  by  three  and  three  more.  Unable  to 
stand  such  evidence  of  affection  any  longer,  General 
Jackson  Avaved  farewell  and  galloped  away.  The 
different  regiments  returned  slowly  to  their  quarters, 
and  thus  ended  a  scene  not  often  witnessed,  and 
which  makes  upon  spectators  impressions  not  easily 
eradicated." 


CHAPTER  XII. 

WINCHESTER  AND   ROMNEY  EXPEDITION— 1861-1862. 

AYe  will  now  follow  General  Jackson  to  Winchester, 
which  he  made  his  headquarters  during  the  Avinter  of 
1861-1862.  He  had  been  ordered  to  the  command  of 
the  Valley  District,  without  troops  being  assigned  to 
him ;  having,  as  we  have  seen,  to  leave  behind  him 
his  chief  reliance  in  battle,  his  invincible  Stonewall 
Brigade.  He  found  at  Winchester  only  a  small  force, 
consisting  of  a  part  of  three  brigades  of  militia  and  a 
few  companies  of  cavalry,  all  of  which  were  imjier- 
fectly  organized  and  poorly  equipped,  and  with  but 
little  training  or  experience.  He  lost  no  time  in  call- 
ing out  all  the  remaining  militia  of  the  district,  and 
in  a  few  weeks  his  little  army  was  increased  to  about 
three  thousand  men.  To  the  instruction  and  drilling 
of  these  new  recruits  he  devoted  himself  with  the 
utmost  energy  ;  and,  already  forming  plans  for  a  vig- 
orous forward  movement,  he  sent  a  petition  to  the 
government  for  reinforcements.  In  response  to  this 
request  he  had  the  great  gratification  of  having  his 
own  Stonewall  Brigade  sent  to  him,  about  the  middle 
of  November,  together  with  the  Rockbridge  Battery, 
now  commanded  by  Captain  McLaughlin. 

The  attachment  which  General  Jackson  felt  for  the 
men  that  had  been  trained  under  him,  and  his  pride 
in  them,  were  fully  reciprocated ;  as  one  of  them  ex- 


204     LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

pressed  it :  "  Wherever  the  voice  of  our  brave  and 
beloved  general  is  heard,  we  are  ready  to  follow.  I 
have  read  of  the  devotion  of  soldiers  to  their  com- 
manders, but  history  contains  no  parallel  case  of  devo- 
tion and  affection  equal  to  that  of  the  Stonewall  Bri- 
gade for  Major-General  Jackson.  We  do  not  look  upon 
him  merely  as  our  commander — do  not  regard  him  as 
a  severe  disciplinarian,  as  a  politician,  as  a  man  seek- 
ing popularity — but  as  a  Christian ;  a  brave  man  who 
appreciates  the  condition  of  a  common  soldier ;  as  a 
fatherly  protector ;  as  one  who  endures  all  hardships 
in  common  with  his  followers  ;  who  never  commands 
others  to  face  danger  without  putting  himself  in  the 
van.  The  confidence  and  esteem  of  the  soldiers  are 
always  made  known  in  exulting  shouts  whenever  he 
makes  his  appearance." 

General  Jackson  was  so  captivated  Avith  the  Valley 
of  Virginia,  the  more  he  saw  of  it  in  his  campaigns, 
that  he  used  to  say  that  when  the  war  was  over  he 
wanted  to  have  a  home  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley, 
and  there  indulge  his  taste  for  rural  pursuits,  and  en- 
joy that  domestic  life  which  was  so  dear  to  him.  The 
beauty  and  grandeur  of  the  scenery,  with  its  chains 
of  mountains,  limpid  streams,  fine  forests,  dales,  and 
fertile  fields,  were  to  him  charming  beyond  descrip- 
tion. The  people  of  the  Valley  were  not  unworthy  of 
it.  They  enjoyed  the  free  and  easy  lives  natural  to 
those  living  in  a  land  of  plenty,  and  dispensed  their 
hospitalities  Avith  grace  and  generosity ;  but  it  was  in 
adversity  that  their  noblest  qualities  were  illustrated. 
Displaying  a  loyalty  that  death  only  could  quench — 
])atience  under  hardsliip  and  toil ;  calmness  and  hero- 
ism amid  the  storms  of  war,  which  destroyed  and  des- 


LETTERS  TO   ITIS   WIFE.  205 

olated  their  homes  and  country ;  the  first  to  rally  to 
the  defence  of  the  South,  and  the  last  to  give  it  up — 
who  can  ev^er  do  justice  to  the  nobleness  and  magna- 
nimity of  those  people  of  the  Valley?  But  it  seems 
unfair  not  to  take  in  the  whole  of  Virginia  in  this 
tribute,  for  it  was  the  universal  testimony  of  the  Con- 
federate soldiers,  from  the  beginning  to  the  end  of 
the  war,  that  the  Virginians,  as  long  as  they  had  a 
crust  of  bread,  would  share  it  with  the  soldiers  from 
other  States,  and  that  the  noble  women  of  Virginia 
never  wearied  in  their  ministrations  to  their  necessi- 
ties, especially  in  nursing  the  sick  and  wounded. 

On  the  9th  of  November  General  Jackson  wrote 
from  Winchester  to  his  wife :..."!  trust  that  my 
darling  little  wife  feels  more  gratitude  to  our  kind 
Heavenly  Father  than  pride  or  elation  at  my  promo- 
tion. Continue  to  pray  for  me,  that  I  may  live  to 
glorify  God  more  and  more,  by  serving  Ilim  and  our 
country.  ...  If  you  Avere  only  here,  you  would  have 
a  very  nice  house,  the  description  of  which  I  will  })ost- 
pone  until  after  answering  your  letters ;  and  if  there 
isn't  room,  it  will  be  deferred  for  the  next  letter,  as  it 
will  take  nearly  a  whole  letter  to  tell  you  how  very 
nice  it  is.  And  if  your  husband  staj's  here  this  win- 
ter, he  hopes  to  send  one  of  his  aides  for  one  little 
somebody.  You  know  very  well  who  I  mean  by 
'  little  somebody.' 

"  And  now  for  an  answer  to  your  questions ;  and 
without  stating  your  questions,  I  will  answer  them. 
My  command  is  enlarged,  and  embraces  the  Valley 
District,  and  the  troops  of  this  district  constitute  the 
Army  of  the  Valley ;  but  my  command  is  not  alto- 


206  LIFE   OF   GENERAL  THOMAS   J.  JACKSON. 

gether  independent,  as  it  is  embraced  in  the  Deparo- 
ment  of  Northern  Virginia,  of  which  General  John- 
ston has  the  command.  There  are  three  armies  in  this 
department — one  under  General  Beauregard,  another 
under  General  Holmes,  and  the  third  under  my  com- 
mand. My  headquarters  are  for  the  present  at  AVin- 
chester.  A  major-general's  rank  is  inferior  to  that  of 
a  full  general.  The  rank  of  major-general  does  not 
appear  to  be  recognized  by  the  laws  of  the  Confeder- 
ate States,  so  far  as  I  have  seen ;  but  there  may  be 
some  law  embraced  in  the  Army  Kegulations  which  I 
have  not  seen.  At  all  events,  the  President  appoints 
them  in  the  Provisional  Army  of  the  Confederate 
States,  and  these  appointments  are  only  for  the  war. 
As  the  regulations  of  the  army  of  the  Confederate 
States  do  not  require  the  rank  of  major-general,  there 
is  no  pay  and  no  staff  appointed  for  it ;  but  I  ex- 
pect to  have  two  aides,  and  at  least  an  adjutant- 
general.  I  am  making  up  my  staff  slowly,  in  conse- 
quence of  desiring  to  secure  a  good  one,  and  some  of 
them  being  at  a  distance.  My  promotion  places  me 
between  a  brigadier  and  a  full  general ;  but  I  don't 
think  that  either  a  major-general  or  a  full  general 
will  be  paid  any  more  than  $301  per  month  (the  pay 
of  a  brigadier),  but  as  commander  of  an  army  my 
additional  pay  is  $100,  making  in  all  $401  per  month. 
I  send  you  a  check  for  $1000,  which  I  wish  invested 
in  Confederate  bonds,  as  I  think,  as  far  as  possible, 
persons  should  take  Confederate  bonds,  so  as  to  re- 
lieve the  government  from  any  pecuniary  ]n'essure. 
You  liad  better  not  sell  your  coupons  from  the  bonds, 
as  I  understand  they  are  paid  in  gold,  but  let  the 
Confederacy  keep  the  gold.     Citizens  should  not  re- 


LOOKING   AFTER   HIS   SERVANTS.  207 

ceive  a  cent  of  gokl  from  the  government  when  it  is 
so  scarce.  The  only  objection  to  parting  with  your 
coupons  is,  that,  if  they  are  payable  in  gold,  it  will  be 
taking  just  so  much  out  of  the  Treasury,  when  it  needs 
all  it  has.  Give  my  love  and  congratulations  to  Will- 
iam [his  brother-in-law,  Major  W.  W.  Morrison]  upon 
his  promotion.  I  saw  Captain  Barringer  at  Manas- 
sas, and  his  regiment  of  cavalry  presented  a  fine  ap- 
pearance. I  send  you  a  letter  announcing  that  Amy 
[his  faithful  old  servant]  has  gone  to  a  better  world. 
The  tears  came  to  my  eyes  more  than  once  while  read- 
ing it." 

The  following  extracts  frotn  letters  to  a  gentleman 
in  Lexington  will  show  that  he  took  time  to  attend 
both  to  the  temporal  and  spiritual  interests  of  his  ser- 
vants, even  in  the  midst  of  absorbing  military  occu- 
pations : 

"  I  desire,  if  practicable,  that  my  boys  shall  have 
the  opportunity  of  attending  the  colored  Sabbath- 
school  in  Lexington,  if  it  is  still  in  operation.  I  am 
glad  to  hear  that  they  are  both  well,  and  I  trust, 
through  the  blessing  of  an  overruling  Providence,  they 
will  serve  you  faithfully.  It  is  gratifying  to  know  that 
they  are  in  such  good  hands  as  yours.  .  .  .  Should  you 
not  need  George,  please  hire  him  to  some  suitable 
person,  with  the  condition  that,  if  in  or  near  town,  he 
be  required  to  attend  Sabbath-school ;  and  wherever 
he  may  be,  let  him  be  required  to  attend  church  at 
suitable  times,  as  I  am  very  desirous  that  the  spiritual 
interests  of  my  servants  shall  be  attended  to.  .  .  . 
I  thank  you  for  your  kindness  in  taking  such  good 


208  I'IfE   OF   GENERAL   THOMAS   J.  JACKSON. 

care  of  ray  lot.  Any  expense  that  you  ma}'  incur  in 
keeping  up  fences,  etc.,  please  let  me  know,  and  I  will 
settle  it.  I  did  not  expect  to  hear  of  ilie  grass  taking 
SO  well.  Please  sell  the  wheat  and  deposit  the  pro- 
ceeds in  the  Bank  of  Rockbridge.*' 

The  new  and  enlarged  field  of  labor  to  which  Gen- 
eral Jackson  had  been  promoted  required  some  addi- 
tions to  his  staff,  and  in  consequence  he  received  many 
applications  from  persons  desiring  to  secure  these  po- 
sitions either  for  themselves  or  their  friends  and  rela- 
tives.    In  writing  upon  this  subject  he  says  : 

"  My  desire  is  to  get  a  staff  specially  qualified  for 
their  specific  duties,  and  that  will  render  the  greatest 
possible  amount  of  service  to  their  country." 

In  response  to  another  request  his  reply  was: 
"  Your  letter,  and  also  that  of   my  much-esteemed 

friend,  Hon.  Mr. in  behalf  of  Mr. ,  reached 

me  to-day ;  and  I  hasten  to  reply  that  I  have  no 
place  to  which,  at  present,  I  can  properly  assign  him. 
I  knew  Mr. personally,  and  was  favorably  im- 
pressed by  him.  But  if  a  person  desires  office  in  these 
times,  the  best  thing  for  him  to  do  is  at  once  to  pitch 
into  service  somewhere,  and  work  with  such  energy, 
zeal,  and  success  as  to  impress  those  around  liini  with 
the  conviction  that  such  are  his  merits  he  must  be 
advanced,  or  tlie  interest  of  the  public  service  must 

suffer.      If  Mr. should  mention  the  subject  to 

you  again,  I  think  you  might  not  only  do  him,  but  the 
country,  good  service  by  reading  this  part  of  my  letter 
to  him.  JVIy  desire  is  to  make  merit  the  basis  of  my 
recommendations  and  selections." 


IN   WINTER-QUARTERS  AT   WINCHESTER.  209 

He  never  appointed  a  man  to  a  responsible  position 
without  knowing  all  about  him.  He  would  make 
the  most  minute  inquiries.  Was  lie  intelligent?  AVas 
he  faithful?  AVas  lie  industrious?  Did  he  get  up 
early  f  This  was  a  great  point  with  him.  If  a  man 
was  wanting  in  any  of  these  qualifications,  he  would 
reject  him,  however  highly  recommended.  No  feeling 
of  personal  partialit}^,  no  feeling  of  friendship,  was 
allowed  to  interfere  with  his  duty.  He  felt  that  the 
interests  at  stake  were  too  great  to  be  sacrificed  to 
favoritism  or  friendship. 

To  his  wife  he  writes  from  Winchester,  November 
IGth  : 

"  Don't  you  tremble  when  you  see  that  you  have 
to  read  such  a  long  letter,  for  I'm  going  to  write 
it  just  as  full  as  it  can  hold.  And  you  wish  that  I 
could  have  my  headquarters  at  Mr.  Grigsby's  ?  I  tell 
you  this  is  a  much  better  place  for  my  pet.  You  can 
have  plenty  of  society  of  charming  ladies  here,  and 
the  Rev,  Mr.  Graham,  our  Presbyterian  minister,  lives 
in  the  second  house  from  here,  his  door  being  only 
about  thirty  yards  from  our  gate.  This  house  be- 
longs to  Lieutenant-Colonel  Moore^  of  the  Fourth 
Virginia  Volunteers,  and  has  a  large  yard  around  it. 
The  situation  is  beautiful.  The  building  is  of  cottage 
style  and  contains  six  rooms.  I  have  two  rooms,  one 
above  the  other.  My  lower  room,  or  office,  has  a 
matting  on  the  floor,  a  large  fine  table,  six  chairs,  and 
a  piano.  The  walls  are  papered'  with  elegant  gilt 
paper.  I  don't  remember  to  have  ever  seen  more 
beautiful  papering,  and  there  are  five  paintings  hang- 
ing on  the  walls.  If  I  only  had  my  little  woman 
14 


210  A-Il-'E    OF   GENEKAL   THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

here,  the  room  would  be  set  off.  The  ii])per  room  is 
neat,  but  not  a  lull  story,  and  is,  I  may  say,  only  re- 
markable for  being  heated  in  a  peculiar  manner,  by 
a  flue  from  the  office  below.  Throuo^h  the  blessino^  of 
our  ever-kind  Heavenly  Father,  I  am  quite  comfort- 
able. I  have  much  work  to  perform,  and  Avouldn't 
have  much  time  to  talk  to  my  darling  except  at  night ; 
but  then  there  is  so  much  pleasant  society  among 
the  ladies  here  that  you  could  pass  your  time  very 
agreeably.  I  hope  to  send  for  you  just  as  soon  as  I 
can  do  so,  with  the  assurance  that  I  am  in  winter- 
quarters." 

It  can  readily  be  imagined  with  what  delight 
General  Jackson's  domestic  })lans  for  the  winter  were 
hailed  by  me,  and  without  waiting  for  the  promised 
"  aide "  to  be  sent  on  as  my  escort,  I  joined  some 
friends  who  were  going  to  Eichmond,  where  I  spent 
a  few  days  to  shop,  procure  a  passport,  and  to  await 
an  escort  to  Winchester.  The  latter  was  soon  found 
in  a  kind-hearted  but  absent-minded  old  clei'gyman. 
who  occupied  himself  so  assiduously  in  taking  care  of 
the  little  woman  he  had  in  charge  that  he  entirely 
forgot  to  look  after  her  baggage  (a  very  necessary 
precaution  in  the  upturned  and  disjointed  condition 
in  whicii  the  country  then  was),  and  the  result  was  a 
lost  trunk  I  We  travelled  by  stage-coach  from  Stras- 
burg.  and  wei'e  told,  before  reaching  Winchester,  that 
Genc'i-al  -lackson  was  not  there,  having  gone  with  his 
command  on  an  expedition  to  demolisii  Dam  No.  5 
on  the  Chesaj)eake  and  Ghio  ("anal.  It  was  there- 
fore with  a  feeling  of  sad  disappointment  and  loneli- 
ness that  I  alighted  from  the  stage-coach  in  front  of 


MEETIXd    AT    LAST.  211 

Taylor's  Hotel  at  midniglit  in  the  early  part  of  dreary, 
cold  December,  and  no  husband  to  meet  me  with  a 
glad  welcome.  By  the  dim  lamp-light  I  noticed  a 
small  group  of  soldiers  standing  on  the  sidewalk,  but 
they  remained  as  silent  spectators,  and  my  escort  led 
me  up  the  long  stairway,  doubtless  feeling  disap- 
pointed himself  that  he  still  had  me  on  his  hands. 
Just  before  reaching  the  landing  I  turned  to  look 
back,  for  one  figure  among  that  group  looked  start- 
lingly  familiar,  but  as  he  had  not  come  forward,  I 
felt  that  I  must  be  mistaken.  However,  my  back- 
ward glance  did  reveal  an  officer  muffled  up  in  a 
military  overcoat,  and  cap  drawn  down  over  his  eyes, 
following  us  in  rapid  pursuit,  and  by  the  time  we 
were  upon  the  top  step  a  pair  of  strong  arms  caught 
me  in  the  rear;  the  captive's  head  was  thrown  back, 
and  she  was  kissed  again  and  again  by  her  husband, 
before  she  could  realize  the  delightful  surprise  he  had 
given  her.  The  good  old  minister  chuckled  gleefully, 
and  was  no  doubt  a  sincere  sharer  in  the  joy  and 
relief  experienced  by  his  charge.  When  I  asked  my 
husband  why  he  did  not  come  forward  when  I  got 
out  of  the  coach,  he  said  he  wanted  to  assure  himself 
that  it  was  his  own  wife,  as  he  didn't  want  to  com- 
mit the  blunder  of  kissing  anybod}'^  else's  e.y?osa.  He  < 
had  returned  but  a  few  hours  before  to  spend  the 
Sabbath  in  Winchester,  and  with  the  hope  of  my 
arrival  upon  the  midnight  stage. 

On  Monday  morning,  bright  and  early,  he  sent  a 
number  of  telegrams  in  search  of  the  missing  trunk, 
which,  by  the  way,  contained  some  valued  treasures, 
and  had  also,  while  in  Richmond,  been  replenished 
with  numerous  new  and  pretty  additions  to  its  Avard- 


212  LIFE   OF   GENERAL   THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

robe,  just  for  that  winter  in  Winchester ;  and  in  those 
war  times  of  blockade  and  scarcity,  such  things  were 
doubly  prized.  But  the  telegraph  failed  to  bring  any 
tidings  of  the  trunk,  and  forthwith  the  aide  who  was 
to  have  been  my  escort  was  despatclied  to  Richmond 
in  pursuit  of  it.  In  a  few  days  he  returned  with  the 
discouraging  report  that  he  was  unsuccessful  in  every 
effort  to  trace  the  lost  piece  of  baggage.  So,  giving 
it  up  in  despair,  I  addressed  myself  to  the  task  of 
supplying  the  necessities  of  the  situation.  It  was,  of 
course,  impossible  to  replace  the  beautiful  Richmond 
outfit ;  but  notwithstanding  this  great  loss,  my  happi- 
ness was  unalloyed  so  long  as  I  was  privileged  to  be 
with  my  husband  and  the  charming  friends  I  found 
in  Winchester.  However,  after  the  lapse  of  three 
whole  weeks,  what  was  my  surprise  one  day  to  see 
mv  long-lost  trunk  safely  placed  within  my  room,  and 
its  recovery  was  all  the  more  gratifying  because  my 
good  husband,  during  all  those  weeks,  had  not  ceased 
to  continue  the  search  for  it,  and  his  letters  to  officials 
and  friends  had  proved  instrumental  in  finding  the 
trunk  securely  locked  up  in  Richmond  as  lost  bag- 
gage I  It  was  speedily  sent  on  by  express,  the  con- 
tents found  to  be  intact,  and  were  all  the  more 
•  appreciated  on  account  of  the  deprivation  endured  by 
tlieir  temporary  loss. 

My  husband  was  fortunate  enough  to  engage  board 
for  us  both  with  the  Rev.  J.  R.  Graham,  in  whose 
delightful  Christian  family  we  spent  as  luipjw  a  win- 
ter as  ever  falls  to  the  lot  of  mortals  on  this  earth. 
Winchester  was  rich  in  happy  homes  and  ])loasant 
people,  in  social  refinement  and  elegant  hospitality; 
and  the  extreme  kindness  and  appreciation  shown  to 


THE    IIAPrV   H0MF;S   of   WINCHESTER.  213 

General  Jackson  by  all,  bound  us  both  to  them  so 
closely  and  warmly  that  ever  after  that  winter  he 
called  the  place  our  "  war  home," 

Among  the  many  excellent  matrons  there  were 
two  who  specially  won  our  hearts— Mrs.  Eobert  Y. 
Conrad  and  Mrs.  Anne  Tucker  Magill.  These  ladies 
Avere  conspicuous  for  their  lovely  Christian  characters 
— being  foremost  in  all  good  works,  in  the  hospitals 
ministering  to  the  soldiers— and  wherever  they  went 
their  lives  were  devoted  to  the  relief  of  suffering  and 
to  doing  good.  Both  were  descended  from  old  Vir- 
ginia families,  true  specimens  of  patrician  blood. 
JNIrs.  Conrad,  even  in  the  decline  of  life,  retained 
much  beauty,  of  brunette  style,  and  in  manner  was 
a  most  gentle  and  gracious  lady.  Several  of  her 
sons  were  gallant  soldiers  in  the  army,  and  her  two 
young  daughters  inherited  their  mother's  grace  and 
beauty. 

Mrs.  Magill  was  of  the  house  of  John  Randolph,  of 
Roanoke,  and  a  sister  of  Hon.  John  Randolph  Tucker, 
Virginia's  honored  statesman  — a  man  known  not 
only  in  Virginia,  but  in  all  the  South,  as  in  the  very 
front  rank  of  Congress  and  of  statesmen;  and  in 
social  life  a  man  '^of  ifttinite  jest,"  but  withal  an 
earnest  Christian.  This  family  seemed  to  possess  as 
an  inheritance  the  richest  vein  of  humor,  in  addition 
to  high  mental  endowments.  It  would  be  difficult 
to  describe  the  sunshine  which  irradiated  the  very 
presence  as  well  as  the  whole  life  of  Mrs.  Magill, 
whom  General  Jackson  designated  as  ''inimitable." 
I  once  heard  the  face  of  a  woman,  who  united  the 
rarest  beauty  to  the  utmost  sweetness  of  disposition, 
described  as  "a  love  letter  to  all  tiie  world."     This 


214  LIFE    OF   GENERAL   THOMAS   J.  JACKSON. 

would  apply  exactly  to  Mrs.  Magill,  who  was  the  im- 
personation of  love  and  kindness,  and  her  natural 
buoyancy  of  temperament  was  heightened  by  her 
beautiful  Christian  faith  and  trust.  In  her  General 
Jackson  found  a  spirit  congenial  to  his  own.  and  so 
admired  her  bright  and  radiant  disposition  that  he 
often  said  to  his  wife  that  when  she  gi-ew  to  be  an 
old  lady,  he  hoped  she  would  be  '"just  like  Mrs. 
Magill !"  She  was  the  mother  of  my  hostess  and 
friend,  Mrs.  Graham,  and  when  I  became  a  member 
of  her  daughter's  family  she  said  she  must  adopt  me 
as  her  daughter  too,  and  during  all  my  sojourn  she 
lavished  upon  me  the  loving  attentions  of  a  mother 
to  a  child.  One  day  in  every  week  our  whole  house- 
hold dined  with  her,  and  I  shall  never  forget  those 
delightful  reunions.  She  was  blest  with  several 
daughters,  whose  cordial  manners  and  sweet  music 
made  their  home  charming  to  visitors, 

I  recall  a  very  amusing  scene  which  occurred  in 
Mr.  Graham's  parlor,  showing  Mrs.  MagilFs  playful 
humor.  A  number  of  visitors,  including  several 
young  officers,  were  spending  the  evening,  and  as 
they  were  about  breaking  up,  Mrs.  Magill  and  a 
young  captain  of  artillery  began  to  fight  a  most 
ridiculous  battle— the  captain  seizing  a  chair  as  his 
cannon  and  pointing  its  back  at  Mrs.  Magill  The 
fun  became  contagious,  and  soon  everybody  in  the 
room  took  sides,  drawing  out  the  chairs  as  pieces  of 
artillery,  amid  such  noise  and  laughter  that  General 
Jackson,  who  was  in  his  room  up-stairs,  came  down 
to  see  what  it  was  all  about.  Taking  in  at  a  glance 
the  broad  humor  of  the  occasion,  he  said,  shar])ly  : 
"  Captain  Marye,  when  the  engagement  is  over,  you  will 


AX   INTERVAL   OF   REST   AND   PEACE.  215 

send  in  an  official  report."  The  uproar  of  this  mirth- 
provoking  scene  was  heard  far  out  into  the  street,  and 
would  not  have  been  suspected  as  coming  from  a 
preacher's  house,  and  yet,  if  I  mistake  not,  his  rever- 
ence was  one  of  the  most  furious  combatants  on  the 
side  of  his  mother-in-law  ! 

The  Winchester  ladies  were  among  the  most  famous 
of  Virginia  housekeepers,  and  lived  in  a  great  deal  of 
old-fashioned  elegance  and  profusion.  The  old  border 
town  had  not  then  changed  hands  with  the  conflicting 
armies,  as  it  was  destined  to  do  so  many  times  during 
the  war.  Under  the  rose -colored  light  in  which  1 
viewed  ever3'thing  that  winter,  it  seemed  to  me  that 
no  people  could  have  been  more  cultivated,  attractive, 
and  noble -hearted.  The  memories  of  that  sojourn 
in  our  "  war  home  "  are  among  the  most  precious  and 
sacred  of  my  whole  life.  It  was  there  that  I  was 
permitted  to  be  the  longest  time  with  my  husband 
after  he  entered  the  army.  He  was  in  such  fine  health 
and  spirits  that,  with  the  exception  of  the  Komney 
expedition,  there  was  nothing  to  mar  the  perfect 
enjoyment  of  those  three  blessed  months. 

No  sooner  had  General  Jackson,  with  his  gallant 
Stonewall  Brigade,  taken  up  his  headquarters  at 
Winchester,  than  petitions  came  pouring  in  from  the 
loyal  people  along  the  border  counties  of  Virginia, 
praying  for  protection,  and  this  he  promised  them  so 
soon  as  he  could  get  more  reinforcements.  In  the 
small  body  of  cavalry  which  he  found  at  Winchester, 
a  conspicuous  officer  was  Lieutenant-Colonel  Turner 
Ashby,  whom  General  Jackson  ])lacod  in  command  of 
his  cavalry  after  consolidating  all  the  com))anies  into 
a  regiment.      At  the  beginning  of  the  war  this  young 


216     LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

soldier  raised  a  company  of  volunteers,  and  during 
the  summer  campaign  he  had  been  engaged  in  the 
first  capture  of  Harper's  Ferry,  and  distinguished 
himself  by  his  gallantry  and  courage.  He  was  as 
brave  and  chivalrous  a  gentleman  as  ever  drew  sword, 
and  when  he  received  his  trust  from  General  Jack- 
son he  kept  it  with  unwearied  zeal  until  he  fell  in 
the  cause  to  which  he  had  given  his  life.  His 
brother,  Captain  Kichard  Ashby,  whom  he  had  loved 
with  unusual  tenderness  and  devotion,  and  who  was  his 
equal  in  courage  and  heroism,  had  fallen  by  the  hand 
of  the  foe,  and  this  terrible  stroke  inspired  Turner 
Ashby  with  a  fearful  resolution  to  avenge  his  broth- 
er's death.  With  his  sad,  earnest  gra}''  eyes,  jet- 
black  hair  and  flowing  beard,  his  lithe  and  graceful 
form  mounted  upon  a  superb  steed,  he  was  a  typical 
knight  of  the  Golden  Horseshoe,  and  his  daring  and 
intrepid  exploits  soon  shed  a  halo  of  romance  around 
his  name,  and  made  it  one  of  terror  to  his  enemies. 
The  sound  of  his  well-known  yell  and  the  shout  of 
"  Ashby !"  from  his  men  were  the  signal  for  a  tre- 
mendous charge  that  was  generally  victorious.  He 
was  an  invaluable  auxiliary  to  General  Jackson  in 
guarding  the  out])osts  of  the  army — his  coolness,  dis- 
cretion, and  untiring  vigilance  being  as  remarkable 
as  his  daring  and  bravery. 

Before  proceeding  further  with  an  account  of  Gen- 
eral Jackson's  movements,  a  brief  glance  will  be  given 
at  the  situation  in  Northwestern  Virginia.  The  cam- 
paigns of  the  Confederates  in  that  region  had  been  at- 
tended with  disaster  almost  from  the  beginning,  which 
bad  been  a  source  of  great  grief  to  General  Jackson ; 
and  his  anxietv  to  be  sent  as  a  defender  to  the  loved 


SITUATION   IX   NORTHERN    VIRGINIA.  217 

"  home  of  his  boyhood  and  family  "  has  already  been 
shown  in  his  letters.  General  McClellan,  crossing  the 
Ohio,  had  attacked  a  small  force  under  General  Rob- 
ert S.  Garnett,  who  was  killed  in  one  of  the  first  en- 
gagements of  the  war.  After  his  death  and  the  de- 
feat of  his  troops,  the  Confederate  government  sent 
out  a  larger  force,  under  General  Robert  E.  Lee,  to 
oppose  Rosecrans,  who  had  succeeded  McClellan.  The 
high  reputation  of  General  Lee  raised  great  hopes  of 
success;  but  owing  to  the  nature  of  the  country,  the 
mountains,  the  condition  of  the  roads,  and  the  superior 
numbers  of  the  enemy,  these  hopes  were  doomed  to 
disappointment. 

After  this  second  failure  of  the  campaign  even  in 
hands  so  competent  as  General  Lee's,  that  distin- 
guished officer  was  assigned  to  a  more  important 
command,  and  was  succeeded  in  the  Northwestern 
Department  by  Brigadier-General  Loring.  Brigadier- 
General  Henry  R.  Jackson  and  Colonel  Edward  John- 
son, of  this  command,  had  each  gallantly  repulsed  the 
enemy ;  but  their  successes  proved  to  be  fruitless  on 
account  of  their  forces  being  too  small  to  hold  anv 
ground  they  had  gained;  and  the  enemy  having  occu- 
pied the  counties  of  Hardy  and  Hampshire,  thereby 
threatening  the  rear  of  the  Confederates,  they  were 
finally  forced  to  retreat  to  a  position  on  the  Shenan- 
doah Mountain,  forty  miles  to  the  rear. 

iSuch  was  the  situation  in  the  Northwest  when  Gen- 
eral Jackson  arrived  at  Winchester.  And  so  anxious 
was  he  to  engage  in  the  work  of  protecting  his  native 
region  that  he  urged  the  government  to  let  liim  have 
the  troops  under  Generals  Loring  and  Johnson,  and,  if 
liis  request  were  granted,  that  there  should  be  no  delay 


218  LIFE   OF   GEXERAL   THOMAS   J.  JACKSON. 

in  hurrying  them  at  once  to  him  ;  and  with  these  rein- 
forcements he  proposetl  to  undertake  a  winter  cam- 
paign. He  remembered  the  saying  of  ]S"apoleon,  that 
"  an  active  winter's  campaign  is  less  liable  to  produce 
disease  than  a  sedentary  life  by  camp-fires  in  winter- 
quarters" — and  seeing  the  imminent  dangers  that 
were  threatening  the  country  from  delaj'^,  together 
with  the  immense  resources  of  the  Northern  Army, 
he  was  eager  to  do  all  in  his  power,  feeling  that 
the  issues  involved  justified  him  in  making  the. ex- 
periment. Tlie  government  partly  acceded  to  his 
request,  but  did  not  furnish  him  with  all  the  ti'oo})s 
he  desired,  and  so  restricted  him,  both  in  force  and 
authority,  that  it  was  impossible  for  him  to  accom- 
plish all  that  he  hopetl  and  expected.  A  letter  to 
the  War  Department  will  show  how  much  he  had 
reflected  upon  this  subject,  and  what  bold  plans  he 
had  formed : 

"  Head(JUautf,rs,  Valley  District,  Nov.  '20th,  18G1. 

*'  Hon.  J.  P.  Benjamin,  Secretary  of  War : 

"  Sir, — I  hope  you  will  pardon  me  for  req,ueoting 
that  at  once  all  the  troops  under  General  Loi'ing  be 
ordered  to  this  point  (Winchester).  Deeply  impressed 
with  the  importance  of  absolute  secrecy  res])ecting 
military  operations,  1  have  made  it  a  ])oint  to  s;iy  but 
little  respecting  my  proposed  movements  in  the  event 
of  sufficient  reinforcements  arriving;  l)ut  since  con- 
versing with  Lieutenant- Colonel  J.  T.  L.  l^reston, 
upon  his  return  from  (reneral  Loring,  and  ascertain- 
ing the  disposition  of  the  general's  forces,  I  venture 
to  respectfully  urge  that  after  concentrating  all  his 
troops  liere,  an   attempt  should  be  made  to  capture 


I'LAX    OF   A    WINTER   CAMPAKJ.V.  ^IS) 

the    Federal    forces   at    Komney.*      The   attack    on 
Romney  would  probably  induce  ]\rcCle]lan  to  believe 
that  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  had  been  so  weakened 
as  to  justify  him  in  making  an  advance  on  Centre- 
ville;  but  should  this  not  induce  him  to  advance,  I 
do    not    believe    anything    will    during    the   present 
winter.     Should  the   Army  of  the   Potomac  be   at- 
tacked, I  would  be  at  once  prepared  to  reinforce  it 
with  my  present  volunteer  force,  increased  by  General 
Loring's.     After  repulsing  the   enemy  at  Manassas, 
let  the  troops   that   marched  on  Romney  return  to 
the  Valley  and  move  rapidly  westward  to  the  waters 
of  the  Monongahela  and  Little   Kanawha.     Should 
General  Kelly  be  defeated,  and  especially  should  he 
be  captured,  I  believe  that  by  a  judicious  disposition 
of  the  militia,  a  few  cavalry,  and  a  small  number  of 
lield-pieces,  no  additional  forces   would  be  required 
for  some  time  in  this  (hstrict.     I  deem  it  of  great  im- 
portance that  Northwestern  Virginia  be  occupied  hy 
Confederate  troops  this  winter.     At  present  it  is  to 
be  presumed  that  the  enemy  are  not  expecting  an 
attack. there,  and  the  resources  of  that  region  neces- 
sary for  the  subsistence  of  our  troops  are  in  greater 
abundance  than  in  almost  any  other  season  of  the 
year.     Postpone  the  occupation  of  that  section  until 
spring,  and   we  may  expect  to   find  the  enemv  i)re- 
pared   for   us,   ami   the   resources   to  which    I'have 
referred  greatly  exhausted.      I   know   that    wliat    1 
have  proposed  will  be  an  arduous  undertaking,  and 
cannot  be  accomplislied  without  the  sacrifice  of^much 
personal,  comfort ;  but  I  feel  that  the  troops  will  be 

General  Kelly  was  then  at  Romney  witli  a  force  reputed  to 
be  five  thousand  men,  to  cover  repairs  on  the  Baltimore  and 
Ohio  Railroad. 


220      LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

prepared  to  make  this  sacrifice  when  animated  by 
the  prospect  of  important  results  to  our  cause  and 
distinction  to  themselves.  It  may  be  urged  against 
tliis  plan  that  the  enemy  will  advance  on  Staunton 
and  Huntersville.  I  am  well  satisfied  that  such  a  step 
would  but  make  their  own  destruction  more  certain. 
Again,  it  may  be  said  that  General  Floyd  will  be  cut 
off.  To  avoid  this,  if  necessary,  the  general  has  only 
to  fall  back  towards  the  Virginia  and  Tennessee  Rail- 
road. When  Northwestern  Virginia  is  occupied  in 
force,  the  Kanawha  Valley,  unless  it  be  the  lower 
part  of  it,  must  be  evacuated  by  the  Federal  forces, 
or  otherwise  their  safety  will  be  endangered  by  forc- 
ing a  column  across  the  Little  Kanawha,  between 
them  and  the  Ohio  River.  Admitting  that  the  season 
is  too  far  advanced,  or  that  from  other  causes  all 
cannot  be  accomplished  that  has  been  named,  yet 
through  the  blessing  of  God,  who  has  thus  far  so 
wonderfully  prospered  our  cause,  much  more  may  be 
expected  from  General  Loring's  troops  according  to 
this  programme  than  can  be  expected  from  them 
where  they  are.  If  you  decide  to  order  them  here,  I 
trust  that,  for  the  purpose  of  saving  time,  all  the 
infantry,  cavalry,  and  artillery  will  be  directed  to 
move  immediately  upon  the  reception  of  the  order. 
The  enemy,  about  five  thousand  strong,  liave  been  for 
some  time  slightly  fortifying  at  Romney,  and  have 
completed  their  telegraph  from  that  ])lace  to  Green 
Spring  Depot.  Their  forces  at  and  near  AVilliams- 
])ort  are  estimated  as  high  as  five  thousand,  but  as 
yet  I  have  no  reliable  information  of  their  strength 
beyond  the  Potomac. 

"  Your  most  obedient  servant, 

"  T.  J.  Jaukson,  Major-General,  P.  A.  0.  S." 


GENERAL   LEE   DOUBTS   THE   WLSDOM   OK   IT.         ^21 

General  Johnston  endorsed  this  letter  as  follows: 

"  Centreville,  Nov.  21st. 
"  Respectfully  forwarded.    I  submit  that  the  troops 
under  General  Loring  might  render  valuable  services 
by  taking  the  field  Avith  General  Jackson,  instead  of 
going  into  winter-quarters,  as  now  proposed. 

"J.  E.  Johnston,  General." 

The  Secretary  of  War,  in  sending  General  Jackson's 
letter  to  General  Loring,  and  expressing  concurrence 
in  the  opinion  that  it  would  be  the  destruction  of  the 
enemy  for  him  to  advance  at  that  season  upon  Mon- 
terey and  Staunton,  said : 

"  In  opposition  to   all  this,  we  have  the   views   of 
General    Lee    and    yourself    impliedly  given   in  the 
recommendation   to   guard   the   passes   through    the 
winter.     We   do   not   desire,   under  such   a  state  of 
things,  to  direct  the  movement  above  described,  with- 
out leaving  you  a  discretion,  and  the  President  wishes 
you   to  exercise  that   discretion.     If  upon  full  con- 
sideration  you  think  the  proposed  movement  objec- 
tionable and  too  hazardous,  you  will  decline  to  make 
it,  and  so  inform  the  department.    If,  on  the  contrarv, 
you  approve  it,  then  proceed  to  execute  it  as  promptly 
and  secretly  as  possible,  disguising  your  purpose  as 
well  as  you  can,  and  forwarding  to  me  by  express  an 
explanation  of  your  proposed  action  to  be  communi- 
cated to  General  Jackson." 

In  the  meantime,  while  awaiting  the  result  of  this 
decision,  General  Jackson  determined  not  to  remain 


222      LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

inactive,  and  taking  the  small  force  then  under  his 
command,  early  in  December,  he  went  to  work  to 
destroy  Dam  No.  5  on  the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio 
Canal,  which  ran  down  the  Potomac  from  Cumber- 
land, Mar^iand,  to  Washington.  This  canal  was  of 
great  importance  to  the  enemy  in  affording  them  the 
means  of  transporting  their  supplies  and  troops, 
especially  since  the  railroad  bridge  at  Harper's  Ferry 
had  been  burned.  As  General  Banks,  with  a  large 
force,  was  upon  the  other  side  of  the  Potomac, 
General  Jackson  despatched  his  militia  to  make  a 
feint  upon  Williamsport,  while  he,  with  the  rest  of 
his  troops,  repaired  to  the  dam,  the  destruction  of 
which  was  accomplished,  but  at  the  expense  of  great 
personal  discomfort  and  suffering  to  his  men.  Ho-w- 
ever,  they  proved  themselves  true  soldiers — many  of 
them  volunteering  to  enter  the  chill  waters  of  the 
Potomac,  and  working  like  beavers  for  four  cold  winter 
days  and  still  colder  nights,  waist-deep  in  water,  with 
the  Federal  cannon-balls  booming  over  their  heads ; 
but-  only  one  poor  fellow  lost  his  life  from  the  guns 
of  the  enemy.  Captain  Holliday  (afterwards  an  hon- 
ored Governor  of  Virginia),  of  the  Thirty-third  Pegi- 
ment,  and  Captain  Pobinson,  of  the  Twenty-seventh 
(all  Virginia  troo|)s),  volunteered,  with  the  comjianies, 
to  go  into  the  river  and  cut  out  the  cribs.  This  was 
done  under  fii-e  from  the  ^Maryland  bank. 

General  Loring  decided  to  join  (xcneral  Jackson, 
and  with  his  troops,  numbering  about  six  thousand 
men,  arrived  in  Winchester  tiio  latter  pai't  of  Deccnd>er. 
The  government  did  not  send  Colonel  Edward  John- 
son's troops  also,  as  Jackson  had  requested,  and  directed 
Loring  to  retain  command  of  his  own  forces,  but  to  act 


NEW    YEAR'S    DAY,   1862.  223 

under  orders  from  Jackson.  The  enemy  having  pos- 
session of  the  towns  of  Bath,  Hancock,  and  Romney, 
which  gave  them  control  of  the  fertile  valley  of  the 
south  branch  of  the  Potomac,  Jackson's  plan  was  to 
move  swiftly  upon  the  first  two  named  vilhiges,  and 
then  to  attack  Romney,  which  was  their  strongest 
point. 

The  morning  of  New  Year's  Day  of  1S02  dawned 
upon  Winchester  with  all  the  glory  and  mildness  of  a 
spring  day,  and,  the  roads  being  in  good  condition, 
General  Jackson  started  out  with  his  little  army  of 
about  eight  thousand  five  hundred  men,  five  battal- 
ions, and  a  few  companies  of  cavalry,  all  moving  for- 
ward with  alacrity  and  fine  spirits.  But  the  weather, 
which  on  the  first  day  had  been  so  propitious,  on  the 
second  "  suddenly  changed  to  be  very  severe,  and  the 
snow  and  sleet  made  the  roads  almost  impassable  for 
loaded  wagons,  unless  the  teams  were  specially  shod 
for  the  purpose."  Thie  sufferings  of  the  troops  were 
terrible,  as  the  frozen  state  of  the  roads  rendered  it 
impossible  for  the  wagons  to  come  up  in  time,  and 
for  several  nights  the  soldiers  bivouacked  under  the 
cokl  winter  sky  without  tents  or  blankets.  All  these 
hardships  and  privations  Jackson  shared  with  the 
troops,  and  tried  to  encourage  them  in  patient  en- 
durance, and  inspire  them  to  press  on.  His  own 
command  bore  up  with  great  fortitude  and  without 
murmuring,  but  the  adverse  weather  had  the  effect 
of  greatly  intensifying  the  discontent  and  disgust  of 
Loring  and  his  men,  who  had  from  the  first  been  dis- 
inclined to  a  winter  campaign  ;  and  an  unfortunate 
jealousy  springing  up  between  the  two  commands, 
caused  an  immense  amount  of  trouble  and  disappoint- 


224     LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

ment  to  Jackson,  and  frustrated  much  of  the  success 
for  which  he  had  reason  to  hope.  Many  of  the 
malcontents  left  their  posts  on  the  plea  of  sickness 
and  returned  to  AVinchester,  and  taunted  "  Jackson's 
pet  larabs.'"  as  they  called  the  Stone\yall  Brigade,  for 
their  foolhardiness  in  following  a  leader  whom  they 
did  not  hesitate  to  denounce  as  rash  and  severe,  in 
dragging  men  through  a  winter  campaign  in  such 
arctic  weather.  ^Nevertheless,  this  much-abused  man 
and  his  brave'  followers  pressed  on,  and  at  the  end 
of  a  three  days'  hard  march  they  reached  Bath,  but 
found  the  enemy  had  tied  without  stopping  to  make 
any  resistance,  leaving  behind  them  all  their  stores 
and  provisions.  The  Confederates  pursued  the  fugi- 
tives, and  soon  overtook  them  near  Hancock,  and 
drove  them  into  that  village.  Colonel  Ashl)y  was 
sent  on  the  morning  of  the  5th  to  summon  the  ])lace 
to  surrender,  and  was  led  blindfold  through  the  streets 
into  the  presence  of  the  Federal  commander.  His 
name  had  so  often  caused  dismay  and  confusion 
among  their  troops  that  their  curiosity  was  greatly 
aroused  at  a  sight  of  the  dashing  young  cavalryman, 
and  as  they  thronged  around  him  he  heard  whispers 
of  "  That  is  the  famous  Ashby,"  The  Federal  com- 
mander refused  to  surrender,  whereupon  General 
Jackson  cannonaded  the  town,  and  speedily  drove  the 
Federal  forces  out  of  it.  It  was  his  design  to  cross 
the  Potomac  and  enter  Hancock,  but  he  says  in  his  re- 
port :  "  On  the  Gth  the  enemy  were  reinforced  to  such 
an  extent  as  to  induce  me  to  believe  that  my  object 
could  not  be  accomplished  without  a  sacrifice  of  life, 
which  I  felt  unw'illing  to  make,  as  Uomney,  the  great 
object  of  the  expedition,  might  require  for  its  recovery, 


MOVIN(i   ON    ROMNEY.  225 

and  especially  for  the  capture  of  the  troops  in  and  near 
there,  all  the  force  at  my  disposal.  .  .  .  As  the  United 
States  troops  had  repeatedly  shelled  Shepherdstown, 
and  had  even  done  so  while  there  were  no  troops  in 
the  place,  and  it  was  not  used  as  a  means  of  defence, 
I  determined  to  intimate  to  the  enemy  that  such  out- 
rages must  not  be  repeated,  and  directed  a  few  round.; 
from  McLaughlin's  battery  to  be  fired  at  Hancock. 
The  invader  having  been  defeated  and  driven  across 
the  Potomac,  the  telegraph  line  broken  at  several 
points,  and  the  railroad  bridge  across  Great  Cacapon 
destroyed,  thus  throwing  material  obstacles  in  the 
way,  not  only  in  transmitting  intelligence  from  Rom- 
ney  to  Hancock,  but  also  of  receiving  reinforcements 
from  the  east,  arrangements  were  made  for  moving  on 
Romney. 

"  The  next  day,  the  7th,  the  command  was  put  in 
motion.  .  .  .  Before  night  a  despatch  reached  me  giv- 
ing intelligence  of  our  disaster  that  morning  at  Hang- 
ing Rock,  where  the  enemy  not  only  defeated  our 
mihtia  under  Colonel  Monroe,  but  captured  two  guns. 
.  .  .  The  enemy  evacuated  Romney  on  the  10th,  and 
the  town  was  soon  occupied  by  Sheetz's  and  Shand's 
companies  of  cavalry,  Avhicli  were  subsequently  fol- 
lowed by  other  troops.  The  Federal  forces,  abandon- 
ing a  large  number  of  tents  and  other  public  })roperty, 
which  fell  into  our  possession,  retreated  to  a  point 
between  the  railroad  bridge  across  Patterson's  Creek 
and  the  northwestern  branch  of  the  Potomac,  which 
was  as  far  as  they  could  retire  without  endangering 
the  safety  of  the  two  bridges.  Our  loss  in  the  ex- 
pedition in  killed  was  four;  in  wounded,  twenty-eight. 
The  Federal  loss  in  killed  and  wounded  not  ascer- 
15 


226  I^IFE    OF    GENERAL    THOMAS   .1.  JACKSOX. 

tained.  Sixteen  of  them  were  captured.  After  the 
arrival  in  Roniney  of  General  Loring's  leading  bri- 
gade, under  Colonel  Taliaferro,  I  designed  moving 
with  it,  Garnett's  brigade,  and  other  forces  on  an  im- 
portant expedition  against  the  enemy,  but  such  was 
the  extent  of  demoralization  in  the  first-named  bri- 
gade as  to  render  the  abandonment  of  that  enterjirise 
necessary.  Believing  it  im})rudent  to  attempt  further 
movements  with  Loring's  command  against  the  Fed- 
erals, I  determined  to  put  it  in  winter-quarters  in  the 
vicinity  of  Romney." 

On  hearing  of  the  approach  of  Jackson,  even  when 
they  were  over  a  day's  march  distant,  the  Federals, 
though  superior  in  numbers,  fled  from  Romney  in  such 
haste  that  they  left  their  tents  standing,  and  much  of 
their  equipage  behind  them.  In  their  track  of  i-etreat 
they  left  ruin  and  desolation  everywhere.  The  dwell- 
ings of  the  rich  and  poor  alike,  the  factories,  mills, 
and  churches  were  burned  or  wantonly  desecrated  ; 
widows  and  orphans  driven  from  their  homes,  and  the 
torch  applied  to  them ;  and  even  the  domestic  ani- 
mals— everything  that  could  be  useful  to  man — were 
either  taken  away  or  shot  down.  For  fifteen  miles  it 
was  one  continuous  scene  of  smoking  ruins  and  dev- 
astation. In  his  official  report  General  Jackson  thus 
alludes  to  these  atrocities  : 

"I  do  not  fviol  at  liberty  to  close  this  report  with- 
out alluding  to  the  conduct  of  the  reprobate  Federal 
commanders,  who,  in  Hampshire  County,  have  not 
only  burned  valuable  mill  property,  but  also  many 
private  houses.     The;  track  from  Roiniiev  to  Ilnnging 


FRUITS   OF   THE   EXPEDITION.  227 

Rock,  a  distance  of  fifteen  miles,  was  one  of  desola- 
tion. The  number  of  dead  animals  lying  along  the 
roadside,  where  they  had  been  shot  by  the  enemy,  exem- 
plified the  spirit  of  that  part  of  the  Northern  army." 

General  Jackson's  estimate  of  the  value  of  the 
fruits  of  this  expedition  will  be  shown  by  a  quota- 
tion from  his  report : 

"  On  January  2d  there  was  not,  from  the  informa- 
tion I  could  gather,  a  single  loyal  man  in  Morgan 
County  who  could  remain  at  home  with  safety. 
Within  less  than  four  days  the  enemy  had  been  de- 
feated, their  baggage  captured ;  and  by  teaching  the 
Federal  authorities  a  lesson,  that  a  town  claiming 
allegiance  to  the  United  States  lay  under  our  guns; 
Shepherdstown  protected,  which  had  repeatedly  be- 
fore, though  not  since,  been  shelled ;  the  railroad  com- 
munication with  Hancock  broken  ;  all  that  portion  of 
the  county  east  of  the  Great  Cacapon  recovered ; 
Romney  and  a  large  part  of  Hampshire  County  evac- 
uated by  the  enemy  without  the  firing  of  a  gun  ;  the 
enemy  had  fled  from  the  western  part  of  Hardy,  had 
been  forced  from  the  offensive  to  the  defensive — 
under  these  circumstances,  judge  what  must  have 
been  my  astonishment  at  receiving  from  the  Secre- 
tary of  War  the  following  despatch :  '  Our  news  in- 
dicates that  a  movement  is  being  made  to  cut  off 
General  Loring's  command.  Order  him  back  to 
Winchester  immediately.' " 

From  the  report  of  General  Loring  and  his  com- 
mand, it  seems  that  the  military  circles  of  the  Con- 
federacy at  Richmond  had  been  made  to  believe  that 


228  ^^PE   OF   GENERAL   THOMAS   J.  JACKSOX. 

they  were  the  victims  of  a  crazy  leader,  whose  mad 
career  must  be  stopped  at  once  for  the  safety  of  Lor- 
ing  and  his  men,  if  not  for  the  countr}^  General 
Jackson,  with  the  Stonewall  Brigade,  had  returned  to 
Winchester,  leaving  Loring's  force,  which  was  the 
larger  part  of  his  command,  in  winter-quarters  near 
Romney,  with  the  confident  expectation  that,  since  he 
had  cleared  out  all  that  region  of  the  enemy,  Loring 
would  be  safe,  and  able  to  defend  himself  against  any 
future  attack,  and,  besides,  he  was  near  enough  to  go  to 
him  in  case  of  danger.  It  can  readily  be  seen,  there- 
fore, how  inexplicable  to  him  seemed  this  order  from 
the  War  Department.     In  his  report  he  continues : 

"  I  promptly  complied  with  the  order,  but  in  do- 
ing so  forwarded  to  the  Secretary  of  War  my  con- 
ditional resignation.  Up  to  that  time,  God,  who  has 
so  wonderfully  blessed  us  daring  the  war,  had  given 
great  success  to  the  efforts  for  protecting  loyal  citizens 
in  their  rights,  and  in  recovering  and  holding  territory 
in  this  district  which  had  been  overrun  by  the  enemy. 
It  is  true  that  our  success  caused  much  exposure  and 
suffering  to  the  command.  Several  nights  the  troops 
had  to  bivouac,  notwithstanding  the  inclemency  of  the 
weather,  their  tents  not  coming  up  on  account  of  the 
bad  condition  of  the  roads ;  yet  every  command,  except 
part  of  General  Loring's,  bore  up  under  these  hardships 
with  the  fortitude  becoming  patriotic  soldiers. 

..."  (xeneral  J^oring's  evacuation  of  Uoumey  and 
return  to  the  vicinity  of  Winchester  was  tlie  beginning 
of  disasters.  The  enemy,  who  up  to  that  time  had  been 
acting  on  the  defensive,  suddenly  changed  to  tlie  offen- 
sive and  advanced  on  Ronmey  ;  next,  drove  our  troops 


JACKSON  RRSICxNS   HIS   COMMAND.  £29 

out  Of  Moorefield  on  the  12th  of  this  month  [Febru- 
ary] ;  two  days  after  forced  our  militia  from  Bloomerv 
1  ass,  tlius  coming  to  within  twenty-one  miles  of  Win- 
chester, and  capturing  a  number  of  prisoners." 

Perhaps  the  honorable   Secretary  of  War  was  in 
his  turn,  somewhat  surprised  at  receiving  the  follow 
ing  reply  to  his  peremptory  order  to  General  Jackson: 

"  Headquarters,  Valley  District,  Jan.  31st,  1862. 
"  Hon.  J.  P.  Benjamin  : 

"  SiR,-Your  order  requiring  me  to  direct  General 
Lormg  to  return  with  his  command  to  Winchester 
has  been  received  and  promptly  complied  with  With 
such  mterference  in  my  command,  I  cannot  expect  to 
be  of  much  service  in  the  field,  and  I  accordino-Jy  re- 
spectfully request  to  be  ordered  to  report  for  d^uty  to 
the  Superintendent  of  the  Virginia  Militarv  Institute 
at  Lexington,  as  has  been  done  in  the  case  of  other 
professors.  Should  this  application  not  be  granted  I 
respectfully  request  that  the  President  will  accept  mv 
resignation  from  the  army. 

I  am,  sir,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

■'  T.  J.  Jackson, 
"  Major-General,  P.  A.  C.  S." 

This  letter  was,  of  course,  submitted  to  General 
Johnston,  the  chief  commander  of  the  department 
who,  m  forwarding  it,  wrote  upon  it  this  endorsement: 

"  Headquarteks,  Centreville,  Feb.  7th,  1862. 

"Respectfully  forwarded  with  great  regret.  I  don't 
know  how  the  loss  of  this  officer  can  be  supplied. 
General  officers  are  much  wanted  in  this  department. 

"  J.  E,  Johnston,  General." 


230  LIFE   OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

General  Johnston  also  wrote  the  following  letter  to 
General  Jackson  : 

"  Fc'briiiiry  od. 

"  Majok-General  Jackson  : 

''  My  dear  Friend, — I  have  just  read,  and  with  pro- 
found regret,  your  letter  of  January  31st  to  the  Secre- 
tary of  War  asking  to  be  relieved  from  your  present 
command,  either  by  an  order  to  the  Virginia  Military 
Institute  or  the  acceptance  of  your  resignation.  Let 
me  beg  you  to  reconsider  this  matter.  Under  ordi- 
nary circumstances,  a  due  sense  of  one's  own  dignity, 
as  well  as  care  for  professional  character  and  official 
rights,  would  demand  such  a  course  as  yours ;  but  the 
character  of  this  war,  the  great  energy  exhibited  by 
the  government  of  the  United  States,  the  danger  in 
which  our  very  existence  as  an  independent  people 
lies,  require  sacrifices  from  us  all  who  have  been  edu- 
cated as  soldiers.  I  receive  my  information  of  tlie 
order  of  which  you  have  such  cause  to  complain  from 
your  letter.  Is  not  that  as  great  an  official  wrong  to 
me  as  the  order  itself  is  to  you?  Let  us  dispassion- 
ately reason  with  the  government  on  this  subject  of 
command,  and  if  we  fail  to  influence  its  practice,  then 
ask  to  be  relieved  from  positions  the  authority  of 
which  is  exercised  b}^  the  War  Department  while  the 
responsibilities  are  left  to  us.  I  have  taken  the  liber- 
ty to  detain  your  letter  to  make  this  appeal  to  your 
patriotism,  not  merely  from  warm  feelings  of  personal 
regard,  but  from  the  official  opinion  which  makes  me 
regard  you  as  necessary  to  the  service  of  the  country 
in  your  present  position. 

''  Very  truly  yours, 

"  J.  E.  Johnston." 


REASONS   FOIl    I)ISSATISFA(^TIOX.  231 

General  Jackson  also  addressed  the  following  note 
to  General  Johnston's  adjutant-general : 

"  Headquarters,  Valley  District,  Feb.  1st,  18G2. 
"Major  Thomas  G.  Rhett,  Assistant  Adjutant-General : 
"  Major,— The  Secretary  of  War  stated,  in  the  order 
requiring  General  Loring's  command  to  fall  back  to 
this  place  immediately,  that  he  had  been  informed  that 
the  command  was  in  danger  of  being  cut  off.  Such 
danger,  I  am  well  satisfied,  does  not  exist,  nor  did  it, 
in  my  opinion,  exist  at  the  time  the  order  was  given, 
and  I  therefore  respectfully  recommend  that  the  order 
be  countermanded,  and  that  General  Loring  be  re- 
quired to  return  with  his  command  to  the  vicinity  of 
Romne3^ 

"  Respectfully, 

"  T.  J.  Jackson, 
"  Major-General,  P.  A.  C.  S.,  commanding." 

"  Endorsement : 

"  Centreville,  Feb.  6th,  1862. 
"  Respectfully  referred   to   the   Secretary  of  War, 
whose  orders  I  cannot  countermand. 

"  J.  E.  Johnston,  General." 

In  his  late  expedition,  General  Jackson  had  received 
but  little  aid  from  the  government.  The  disalTection 
of  General  Loring  and  his  men  had  been  enough  to  dis- 
courage and  seriously  affect  the  success  of  the  enter- 
prise. Jackson  had  endured  with  his  command  all  the 
rigors  and  hardships  of  an  exceptionalh'  severe  winter. 
And  yet,  in  the  face  of  all  these  obstacles,  he  had  with 
his  heroic  httle  band  succeeded  in  driving  the  enemy 


232      LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

from  every  point  he  had  attacked,  and  had  recovered 
his  entire  district.  When  it  was  urged  upon  him  that 
he  should  be  willing  to  make  sacrifices  to  serve  his 
country  in  her  time  of  sore  need,  he  exclaimed  :  "  Sac- 
rifices !  have  I  not  made  them  ?  What  is  my  life  here 
but  a  daily  sacrifice  ?  Nor  shall  I  ever  withhold  sacri- 
fices for  my  country,  where  they  avail  anything.  I 
intend  to  serve  her  anywhere,  in  any  way  in  which  I 
am  permitted  to  do  it  with  effect,  even  if  it  be  as  a 
private  soldier.  But  if  this  method  of  making  war  is 
to  prevail,  which  they  seek  to  establish  in  my  case,  the 
country  is  ruined.  My  duty  to  her  requires  that  I 
shall  utter  my  protest  against  it  in  the  most  energetic 
form  in  my  power,  and  that  is  to  resign."  He  also 
wrote  to  Governor  Letcher,  requesting  him  to  use  his 
influence  in  having  him  ordered  back  to  the  Institute, 
saying  the  order  from  the  War  Department  "  was 
given  Avithout  consulting  me,  and  is  abandoning  to  the 
enemy  what  has  cost  much  preparation,  expense,  and 
exposure  to  secure,  and  is  in  direct  conflict  with  my 
military  plans,  and  implies  a  want  of  confidence  in  my 
capacity  to  judge  when  General  Loring's  troops  should 
fall  back,  and  is  an  attempt  to  control  military  opera- 
tions in  detail  from  the  Secretary's  desk  at  a  distance. 
I  have,  for  the  reasons  set  forth  in  the  accompanying 
paper,  requested  to  be  ordered  back  to  the  Institute, 
and  if  this  is  denied  me,  then  to  have  my  resignation 
accepted.  T  ask  as  a  special  favor  that  you  will  liave 
me  ordered  back  to  the  Institute.  As  a  single  order 
like  that  of  the  Secretary's  may  destroy  the  entire 
fruits  of  a  campaign,  I  cannot  reasonably  expect,  if 
my  operations  are  thus  to  be  mterfered  witli,  to  be  of 
much  service  in  the  field.     A  sense  of  dutv  brought 


"NO,  NO:    I   MUST   RESIGN!"'  233 

me  into  the  field,  and  has  thus  far  kept  me.  It  now 
appears  to  be  my  duty  to  return  to  the  Institute,  and 
I  hope  that  you  will  leave  no  stone  unturned  to  get 
me  there.  If  I  ever  acquired,  through  the  blessing  of 
Providence,  any  influence  over  troops,  this  undoing  my 
work  by  the  Secretary  may  greatly  diminish  that  in- 
fluence. I  regard  the  recent  expedition  as  a  great  suc- 
cess. ...  I  desire  to  say  nothing  against  the  Secre- 
tary of  AVar.  I  take  it  for  granted  that  he  has  done 
what  he  believes  to  be  best,  but  I  regard  such  a  policy 
as  ruinous. 

"  Very  truly  your  friend, 

"T.  J.  Jackson." 

A  gentleman  who  had  an  interview  with  him  at 
this  critical  moment  thus  gives'the  result :  "  Never 
can  I  forget  an  interview  held  with  him  the  night 
that  he  forwarded  his  resignation.  When  urged  to 
withhold  it,  upon  the  ground  that  the  country  could 
not  spare  his  services — that  his  name  was  alike  a  ter- 
ror to  our  enemies  and  a  tower  of  strength  to  our 
cause,  inspiring  confidence  and  arousing  enthusiasm, 
even  among  the  doubtful  and  wavering — '  No,  no,' 
said  he, '  you  greatly  overestimate  my  capacity  for  use- 
fulness. A  better  man  will  soon  be  sent  to  take  my 
place.  The  government  have  no  confidence  in  my 
capacity,  or  they  would  not  thus  countermand  my 
orders,  and  throw  away  the  fruits  of  victory  that  have 
been  secured  at  such  a  sacrifice  of  the  comfort  of  my 
noble  troops  in  their  hurried  march  through  the  storm 
of  snow  and  sleet.  No,  sir,  I  must  resign,  and  give 
my  place  to  somp.  one  in  whom  they  have  more  confi- 
dence.' " 


234  LIFE   OF   GENERAL   THOMAS   J.  JACKSOX. 

When  iirgetl  that  perhaps  the  government  had  been 
misinformed  as  to  the  facts,  he  responded : 

*'  Certainly  they  have ;  but  they  must  be  taught  not 
to  act  so  hastily  without  a  full  knowledge  of  the  facts. 
I  can  teach  them  this  lesson  now  by  my  resignation, 
and  the  country  will  be  no  loser  by  it.  If  I  fail  to  do 
so,  an  irreparable  loss  may  hereafter  be  sustained, 
when  the  lesson  might  have  to  be  taught  by  a  Lee  or 
Johnston."'  This  was  nearly  his  exact  language,  as  we 
well  remember  it.  But  little  he  knew  that  when  his 
services  were  lost  to  the  cause  —  or,  as  General  Lee 
afterwards  expressed  it,  that  he  had  lost  his  right  arm 
— the  whole  army  would  be  paralyzed,  and  the  cause 
itself  lost.  But  our  far-seeing  and  sagacious  governor 
knew  the  worth  of  Stonewall  Jackson  to  the  army, 
and  wrote  at  once,  begging  him  to  reconsider  his  de- 
cision, and  sent  one  of  his  most  influential  officials  to 
remonstrate  with  him  in  person  against  his  leaving  the 
army.  The  same  protests  poured  in  from  other  quar- 
ters, from  persons  of  all  grades,  both  in  public  and 
private  life,  among  them  some  aged  ministers  of  the 
Gospel — all  imploring  him  to  withdraw  his  resignation. 
In  reply  to  a  second  letter  from  Governor  Letcher,  he 
wrote : 

"  WiNCiiKSTKK,  Feb.  6tli,  1862. 
"His  Excellency  John  Letcher,  Governor  of  Virginia: 
"  Governor, — Your  letter  of  the  4th  instant  was  re- 
ceived this  morning.  If  my  retiring  from  the  army 
would  produce  that  effect  upon  our  country  which  you 
have  named  in  your  letter,  I,  of  course,  would  not  de- 
sire to  leave  the  service ;  and  if,  upon  the  receipt  of  this 
note,  your  o])inion  remains  unchanged,  you  are  author- 
ized to  withdi-aw  my  resignation,  unless  the  Secretary 


WITHDRAWS   HIS  RESIGNATION.  235 

of  AVar  desii'cs  that  it  should  be  accopted.  My  reasons 
for  resigniug  were  set  forth  in  my  letter  of  the  31st 
ultimo,  and  my  views  remain  unchanged;  and  if  the 
Secretary  persists  in  the  ruinous  policy  complained  of, 
I  feel  that  no  officer  can  serve  his  country  better  than 
by  making  his  strongest  possible  protest  against  it, 
which,  in  my  opinion,  is  done  by  tendering  his  resigna- 
tion, rather  than  be  a  wilful  instrument  in  prosecuting 
the  war  upon  a  ruinous  principle.  I  am  much  obliged 
to  you  for  requesting  that  I  should  be  ordered  to  the 
Institute. 

"  Very  truly  your  friend, 

"  T.  J.  Jackson." 

Upon  receiving  assurances  from  the  government 
that  it  did  not  intend  to  interfere  with  his  military 
plans,  Governor  Letcher  deemed  it  best  to  withdraw 
his  resignation  in  the  name  of  Virginia;  and  to  this 
he  yielded  with  true  soldierly  obedience,  and  it  was 
thus  that  Stonewall  Jackson  was  preserved  to  the 
army. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

KERNSTOWN,   McDOWELL,   AND   WINCHESTER— 1862. 

After  all  the  hardships  and  trials  of  the  late  ex- 
pedition, General  Jackson  returned  from  Romney  to 
Winchester  so  full  of  animation  and  high  spirits,  gal- 
loping along  on  his  little  sorrel  with  such  speed  through 
the  mud  and  slush,  that  one  of  his  elder  staff -officers 
laughingly  said  to  him :  "  Well,  general,  /  am  not  so 
anxious  to  see  Mrs.  Jackson  as  to  break  my  neck  keep- 
ing up  with  you,  and  with  your  permission  I  shall  fall 
back  and  take  it  more  leisurely."  As  they  were  not 
in  pursuit  of  the  enemy,  the  request  was  granted,  and 
this  officer,  with  some  others,  did  not  reach  Winches- 
ter until  the  day  following,  while  General  Jackson, 
with  the  younger  members  of  the  staff,  rode  the  whole 
forty  miles  in  one  short  winter  day.  After  going  to 
a  hotel  and  divesting  himself  of  the  mud  which  had 
bespattered  him  in  his  rapid  ride,  and  making  as  per- 
fect a  toilet  as  possible,  he  rang  the  door-bell  of  Mr. 
Graham,  who  admitted  him,  and  in  another  moment 
lie  came  bounding  into  the  sitting-room  as  joyous  and 
fresh  as  a  schoolboy,  to  give  his  wife  a  surprise,  for 
he  had  not  intimated  when  he  would  return.  As  soon 
as  the  first  glad  greetings  were  over,  before  taking  his 
seat,  with  a  face  all  aglow  with  delight,  he  glanced 
around  the  room,  and  was  so  impressed  with  the  cosy 
and  cheerful  aspect  of  Mr.  Graham's  fireside,  as  we  all 


JOYFUL  RETURN  HOME.  237 

sat  round  it  that  winter  evening,  that  he  exclaimed : 
"  Oh  !  this  is  the  very  essence  of  comfort  /"  The  bright 
picture  of  home-life  was  exceedingly  refreshing  to  liim 
after  all  the  discomfort  and  exposure  through  wliich 
he  had  passed  since  he  left  us  three  weeks  before.  He 
never  looked  better  and  more  radiant  than  on  that 
evening.  Mr.  Graham  had  an  interesting  little  family 
of  children,  who  afforded  him  much  pleasure,  and  it 
was  the  special  privilege  of  one  of  the  little  boys  to 
ride  down-stairs  in  the  mornings  upon  the  back  of  the 
general,  the  performance  provoking  as  much  glee  on 
his  part  as  it  did  on  that  of  the  child.* 

In  making  the  trip  from  Romney,  he  Avas  more  than 
ever  charmed  with  "  Little  Sorrel,"  Avhose  powers  of 
endurance  proved  quite  remarkable.  After  bearing 
him  along  with  so  much  fleetness  and  comfort,  he  said 
the  horse  seemed  almost  as  fresh  and  unwearied  at  tlie 
end  of  the  journey  as  at  the  beginning. 

When  the  Loring  troubles  came,  and  General  Jack- 
son thought  he  might  be  ordered  back  to  the  Institute, 
the  anticipation  of  returning  home  gave  him  unbound- 
ed happiness — the  only  consideration  marring  it  being 
a  feeling  that  his  paramount  duty  was  to  be  in  tlie 
field  when  his  countr}^  was  in  danger.  Duty  alone  con- 
strained him  to  forego  the  happiness  and  comforts  of  his 
beloved  home  for  the  daily  hardships  of  a  soldier's  life. 

For  the  next  month  after  his  return  he  remained 
quietly  in  "Winchester.  After  Loring's  evacuation  of 
Romney  the  Federal  troops  again  took  possession,  and 

*  It  is  an  interesting  item  of  tlie  family  history  that  the  little 
youngster  who  was  thus  honored,  when  he  grew  to  manhood,  be- 
came a  minister  of  the  Gospel,  and,  as  the  Rev.  Alfred  T.  Graham, 
was  married  to  Miss  Isabel  Irwin,  a  niece  of  Mrs.  Jackson. 


238     LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

spread  in  such  numbers  along  the  border  as  to  threat- 
en Winchester  on  every  side ;  and  the  diiRculties  of 
General  Jackson's  position  were  greatly  enhanced  by 
a  diminution  of  his  small  army,  Loring  and  all  his 
troops  that  were  not  Virginians  having  been  or- 
dered elsewhere ;  and  in  order  to  induce  re-enlist- 
ment, furloughs  had  been  freely  granted ;  so  that, 
at  the  time  of  the  most  imminent  danger,  General 
Jackson's  force  was  reduced  to  about  four  thousand 
effective  men,  exclusive  of  militia.  He  informed  the 
commander-in-chief  that  his  position  required  at  least 
nine  thousand  men  for  its  defence,  threatened  as  it  was 
by  Banks  on  one  side  and  Lander  on  the  other.  But  as 
Johnston  was  himself  preparing  to  retreat  before  the 
advance  of  McClellan,  he  had  no  troops  to  spare.  To 
a  friend  in  the  Confederate  Congress  Jackson  wrote : 

"What  I  desire  is,  to  hold  the  country  as  far  as 
practicable  until  we  are  in  a  condition  to  advance ; 
and  then,  with  God's  blessing,  let  us  make  thorough 
work  of  it.  But  let  us  start  right.  ...  In  regard  to 
your  question  as  to  how  many  troops  I  need,  you  will 
probably  be  able  to  form  some  idea  when  I  tell  you 
that  Banks,  who  commands  about  thirty-five  thousand, 
has  his  headquarters  in  Charleston,  and  that  Kelly, 
who  has  succeeded  Lander,  has  probably  eleven  thou- 
sand, with  his  headquarters  near  Paw -Paw.  Thus 
you  see  two  generals,  Avhose  united  force  is  near  forty- 
six  thousand  troops,  already  organized  for  three  years 
or  the  war,  opposed  to  our  little  force  here ;  but  T 
do  not  feel  discouraged.  Let  me  have  what  force 
you  can.  McClellan,  as  I  learn,  was  at  Charleston  on 
Friday  last;    there  may  be  sometiiing  significant   in 


PREPARING  TO  LKAVE  WINCHESTER.       2,39 

this.  You  observe,  then,  the  impossibility  of  saying 
how  many  troops  I  shall  require,  since  it  is  impossible 
for  me  to  know  how  many  will  invade  us.  I  am  de- 
lighted to  hear  you  say  Virginia  is  resolved  to  conse- 
crate all  her  resources,  if  necessary,  to  the  defence  of 
herself.  Now  we  may  look  for  war  in  earnest.  You 
ask  me  for  a  letter  respecting  the  Valley.  I  am  well 
satisfied  that  you  can  say  much  more  about  it  than  I 
can,  and  in  much  more  forcible  terms.  I  have  only  to 
say  this,  that  if  this  valley  is  lost,  Virginia  is  lost. 

"  Very  truly  your  friend,         T.  J.  Jackson." 

Jackson  meanwhile  remained  at  AVinchester,  watch- 
ing closely  the  advance  of  Banks,  and  doing  what  was 
possible  to  impede  it.  General  Johnston  thus  describes 
the  duty  assigned  to  him  :  "  After  it  had  become  evi- 
dent that  the  Valley  was  to  be  invaded  by  an  army 
too  strong  to  be  encountered  by  Jackson's  division, 
that  officer  was  instructed  to  endeavor  to  employ  the 
invaders  in  the  Valley,  but  without  exposing  himself 
to  the  danger  of  defeat,  by  keeping  so  near  the  enemy 
as  to  keep  him  from  making  any  considerable  detach- 
ment to  reinforce  McClellan,  but  not  so  near  that  he 
might  be  compelled  to  fight."  General  Jackson  sent 
his  stores,  baggage,  and  the  sick  to  the  rear,  but  con- 
tinued to  hold  his  position  to  the  last  moment.  Early 
in  March,  when  he  found  that  he  would  be  compelled 
to  retire  from  Winchester,  although  his  heart  was 
yearning  to  stay  and  defend  the  place,  he  thought  it 
was  no  longer  safe  for  me  to  remain,  and  I  was  sent 
away  on  the  same  train  which  conveyed  the  sick  to  a 
place  of  safety.  In  the  midst  of  all  this  terrible  men- 
tal strain  my  husband  maintained  the  most  perfect 


240  LIFE   OF   GENERAL   THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

self-control  and  cheerfulness,  tlirowing  off  (when  in 
my  presence  at  least)  the  heavy  burden  under  which 
he  labored — talking  as  little  as  possible  about  military 
matters,  and  showing  much  of  his  old  home  playful- 
ness and  abandon.  He  told  me  that  when  his  "sun- 
shine'"' was  gone  out  of  the  room  which  had  been  to 
us  the  hoh'  of  holies  on  earth  that  winter,  he  never 
wanted  to  enter  it  agai  n ;  and  yet  to  the  last  mo- 
ment he  lingered  at  the  door  of  the  coach  in  whicli  I 
left  with  bright  smiles,  and  not  a  cloud  upon  his  peace- 
ful brow.     For  thirteen  months  we  did  not  meet  again. 

Never,  as  long  as  life  lasts,  can  I  forget  the  harrow- 
ing scenes  of  that  day  upon  Avhich  I  left  Winchester. 
Man}^  of  the  poor  soldiers  looked  as  if  they  were  almost 
at  the  point  of  death.  Some  were  so  helpless  that  they 
had  to  be  carried  on  the  backs  of  their  comrades — their 
pale,  emaciated,  and  despairing  faces  and  moans  of  suf- 
fering being  pitiful  and  heart-moving  beyond  descrip- 
tion. At  Manassas  there  was  a  delay  of  an  hour  or 
more  in  transferring  them  to  another  train,  and  as  I 
sat  and  watched  that  procession  of  concentrated  mis- 
ery, with  my  own  heart  so  heavy  and  anxious,  I  was 
never  so  impressed  with  the  horrors  of  war. 

No  ray  of  sunshine  lightened  the  gloom.  As  I  jour- 
neyed sadly  along,  my  attention  was  attracted  by  the 
conversation  of  a  lady  and  gentleman  wlio  sat  imme- 
diately in  front  of  me.  He  was  a  Confederate  olHcei', 
and  she  was  plying  him  with  questions  al)out  the  army, 
its  officers,  etc.  After  freely  discussing  Lee,  Johnston, 
and  others,  the  lady  asked:  "  And  what  do  you  think 
of  Old  Stonewall  P"^  I  almost  held  my  breath,  but 
could  not  have  been  more  gratified  when  the  answer 
came,  for  it  was  this :  "  I  have  tlte  mod  'uiipllcU  conji- 


PROPOSES  A  NIGHT  ATTACK.  241 

dence  in  him,  madam.  At  first  1  did  not  know  uliat 
to  think  of  his  bold  and  aggressive  mode  of  warfare ; 
but  since  I  hiow  the  man,  and  have  witnessed  his  abil- 
ity and  patriotic  devotion,  /  loould  follow  him  any- 
ichereP  llow  my  heart  warmed  to  that  stranger, 
Avho  little  knew  that  General  Jackson's  wife  Avas  a 
listener  to  a  commendation  which  could  not  have  been 
more  satisfactory  if  it  had  been  given  for  her  benefit ! 
This  was  to  me  the  brightest  gleam  of  sunlight  on  that 
dreary  journey. 

To  show  General  Jackson's  extreme  reluctance  to 
retreat  from  the  loj^al  old  town  of  Winchester  without 
striking  a  blow  in  its  defence,  he  conceived  the  bold 
idea  of  becoming  the  attacking  party  himself,  and  to 
this  end  he  called  a  council  of  his  chief  officers,  and 
proposed  to  them  a  night  attack  upon  Banks.  In  the 
meantime,  while  they  were  assembling,  he  Avent,  all 
booted  and  spurred,  to  make  a  hasty  call  on  his  friend 
Mr.  Graham,  whose  family  he  found  oppressed  with 
the  gloom  which  overspread  the  whole  town.  He  was 
so  buoyant  and  hopeful  himself  that  their  drooping 
spirits  were  revived,  and  after  engaging  with  them 
in  family  worship  he  returned  to  meet  his  council  of 
war.  However,  his  proposition  was  not  approved,  and 
he  hurried  back  to  correct  the  impression  he  had  made 
upon  his  friends  by  his  cheering  words  and  sanguine 
predictions ;  his  countenance  and  bearing,  which  at 
that  time  beamed  with  hope  and  the  fire  of  patriotic 
devotion,  were  now  changed  to  deepest  perplexity  and 
depression.  Still,  he  was  so  loath  to  give  up  his  coveted 
scheme  that  he  said,  with  slow  and  desperate  earnest- 
ness: "But — let  me  think — can  I  not  yet  carry  my 
plan  into  execution?"  As  he  uttered  these  words  he 
16 


242     LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TJOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

grasped  the  hilt  of  his  sword,  raised  liis  face  with  a 
look  of  determination,  and  the  light  of  battle  glowed 
in  his  eyes ;  but  the  next  moment  he  dropped  his  head, 
and,  releasing  his  sword,  said  :  "  No ;  I  must  not  do  it ; 
it  may  cost  the  lives  of  too  many  brave  men.  I  must 
retreat,  and  wait  for  a  better  time." 

On  the  Tth  of  March  General  Banks  approached 
within  four  miles  of  Winchester,  and  General  Jackson 
drew  up  his  little  force  in  line  of  battle  to  meet  him ; 
but  the  former  withdrew  without  attacking.  The  ac- 
tivity of  Ashby  and  the  boldness  with  which  Jackson 
maintained  his  position  impressed  his  adversary  with 
the  conviction  that  the  Confederate  force  was  much 
larger  than  it  was  in  reality.  Banks  advanced  in  a 
cautious  and  wary  manner,  refusing  to  attack,  but 
pushing  forward  his  left  Aving  so  as  to  threaten  Jack- 
son's flank  and  rear.  By  the  11th  of  March  this  move- 
ment had  gone  so  far  that  it  was  no  longer  safe  to  hold 
Winchester.  Jackson  remained  under  arms  all  day, 
hoping  for  an  attack  in  front,  but  none  was  made,  and 
late  in  the  afternoon  his  little  army  withdrew  from  the 
town,  and  it  was  occupied  by  the  Federals  the  next  day, 
March  12th.  The  Confederates  continued  to  retreat 
slowly  to  Woodstock  and  IMount  Jackson,  forty  miles  in 
rear  of  AVinchester,  and  Shields's  division  was  thrown 
forward  in  pursuit  to  Strasburg  on  the  ITtli. 

To  his  wife  General  Jackson  wrote  on  the  lOtli  of 
March  from  Winchester : 

"My  darling,  you  made  a  timely  retreat  from  here, 
for  on  Friday  the  Yankees  came  within  five  miles  of 
this  place.  Ashby  skirmished  for  some  time  with 
them,  and  after  they  fell  back  ho  followed  them  until 


GENERAL   BANKS   IN   WINCHESTER.  243 

they  halted  near  Bunker  Hill,  which  is  twelve  miles 
from  here,  Avhere  they  are  at  present.  The  troops 
are  in  excellent  spirits.  .  .  .  How ^  God  does  bless  us 
wherever  we  are  !  [This  was  in  reference  to  the  kind- 
ness we  had  received  in  Winchester.]  I  am  very 
thankful  for  the  measure  of  health  with  which  lie 
blesses  me.  I  do  not  remember  having  been  in  such 
good  health  for  years.  .  .  .  My  heart  is  just  overflow- 
ing with  love  for  my  little  darling  wife." 

"Woodstock,  March  17tli,  1862. 
"  The  Federals  have  possession  of  Winchester.  They 
advanced  upon  the  town  the  Friday  after  you  left, 
but  Ashby,  aided  by  a  kind  Providence,  drove  them 
back.  I  had  the  other  troops  under  arms,  and  marched 
to  meet  the  enemy,  but  they  did  not  come  nearer  than 
about  five  miles  of  the  town,  and  fell  back  to  Bunker 
Hill.  On  last  Tuesday  they  advanced  again,  and 
again  our  troops  were  under  arms  to  meet  them,  but 
after  coming  within  four  miles  of  the  town  they 
halted  for  the  night.  I  was  in  hopes  that  they  would 
advance  on  me  during  the  evening,  as  I  felt  that  God 
would  give  us  the  victory  ;  but  as  they  halted  for  the 
night,  and  I  knew  they  could  have  large  reinforce- 
ments by  morning,  I  determined  to  fall  back,  and  sent 
my  troops  back  the  same  night  to  their  wagons  in 
rear  of  Winchester,  and  the  next  morning  moved  still 
farther  to  the  rear." 

The  retirement  of  Jackson  and  the  unopposed  occu- 
pation of  the  lower  valley  by  Banks  relieved  McClel- 
lan  of  all  fears  in  that  direction  ;  and  in  pursuance  of 
President  Lincoln's  requirement,  Banks  was  ordered 


244      LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

to  intrench  himself  in  tlie  vicinity  of  Manassas,  in  or- 
der to  guard  the  approaches  to  Washington.  Shields's 
division  was  accordingly  recalled  from  Strasburg,  and 
the  Federals  began  their  movement  towards  Manassas 
on  the  20th  of  March.  On  the  evening  of  the  21st 
Ashby  reported  that  the  enemy  had  evacuated  Stras- 
burg. Jackson,  divining  that  this  meant  a  withdrawal 
towards  AVashington,  at  once  ordered  pursuit  with 
all  his  available  force.  The  whole  of  his  little  army 
reached  Strasburg  on  the  afternoon  of  the  22d,  the 
greater  part  after  a  march  of  twenty-two  miles.  Mean- 
time the  indefatigable  Ashby  was  following  close  be- 
hind the  retreating  enemy,  and  late  in  the  afternoon 
of  the  22d,  as  Jackson  was  entering  Strasburg,  Ashby 
was  attacking  the  Federal  pickets  one  mile  south  of 
Winchester.  After  the  skirmish,  Ashby  camped  for 
the  night  at  Kernstown,  three  miles  south  of  Win- 
chester. General  Shields,  who  commantled  the  troops 
Ashby  had  attacked,  and  who  was  himself  wounded 
in  the  skirmish,  had  displayed  but  a  small  part  of  his 
force;  and  this  fact,  combined  with  information  ob- 
tained within  the  Federal  lines,  misled  the  Confeder- 
ates. The  reports  brought  out  led  xVsliby  to  believe 
that  all  but  one  brigade  had  gone,  and  tliat  it  expected 
to  leave  for  Harper's  Ferry  the  next  day  ;  but  the  fact 
was  that  Shields's  division  of  three  brigades  still  re- 
mained. This  information  caused  Jackson  to  push  on 
with  all  haste  the  next  morning.  At  daylight  he  sent 
three  companies  of  infantry  to  reinforce  Ashby,  and 
followed  with  his  whole  force.  After  a  march  of  four- 
teen miles  he  reached  Kernstown  at  2  r.M.  Shields 
had  made  his  disposition  to  meet  attack,  and  Ashby 
kept    up   an   active    skirmish    witli    the    advance    of 


BATTLE   OF   KERNSTOWN.  245 

Shields's  force  during  the  forenoon.  But  though  thus 
making  ready,  the  Federal  generals  did  not  expect  an 
attack  in  earnest,  believing  that  Jackson  could  not  be 
tempted  to  hazard  himself  so  far  from  his  main  sup- 
port. AVhen  he  reached  Kernstown  his  troops  were 
very  weary.  Three  fourths  of  them  had  marched 
thirty-six  miles  since  the  preceding  morning.  He 
therefore  gave  directions  for  bivouacking,  and  says  in 
his  report :  "  Though  it  was  very  desirable  to  prevent 
the  enemy  from  leaving  the  Valley,  yet  I  deemed  it 
best  not  to  attack  until  morning.  But  subsequently 
ascertaining  that  the  Federals  had  a  position  from 
which  our  forces  could  be  seen,  I  concluded  that  it 
would  be  dangerous  to  postpone  the  attack  until  the 
next  day,  as  reinforcements  might  be  brought  up  dur- 
ing the  night."  Jackson,  therefore,  led  his  men  to  the 
attack.  His  plan  vras  to  gain  the  ridge  u]ion  which 
the  Federal  right  flank  rested,  turn  that  flank,  and  get 
command  of  the  road  from  Kernstown  to  Winchester 
in  the  rear.  He  gained  the  top  of  the  ridge,  but 
Shields  held  him  in  check  until  he  could  hurry  other 
troops  to  that  flank,  when  Jackson  in  turn  became 
the  attacked  party.  For  three  hours  of  this  Sunday 
afternoon  the  sanguinary  and  stubborn  contest  con- 
tinued. But  bravely  as  the  Confederates  fought,  they 
were  finally  overcome  by  the  superior  numbers  of  the 
enemy,  and  Avere  compelled  to  retreat.  Weary  and 
dispirited  was  the  little  army  which  had  marched  four- 
teen miles  in  the  morning  to  attack  a  force  more  than 
double  its  own,  and  which  had  for  three  hours  wrestled 
for  victory  in  so  vigorous  a  manner  as  to  astonish  and 
deceive  the  enemy.  Baffled  and  overpowered,  it  slow- 
ly retraced  its  path  for  six  miles  more,  and  sank  to 


246  LIFE   OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSOX. 

rest.  In  the  fence  corners,  under  the  trees,  and  around 
the  wagons,  the  soldiers  threw  themselves  down,  many 
too  tired  to  eat,  and  forgot  in  slumber  the  toils,  dan- 
gers, and  disappointments  of  the  day.  Jackson  shared 
the  open-air  bivouac  with  his  men.  His  faithful  com- 
missary, Major  Hawks,  made  a  roaring  fire,  and  was 
making  a  bed  of  rails,  when  the  general  wished  to 
know  what  he  was  doing.  "  Fixing  a  place  to  sleep,"' 
was  the  reply.  "  You  seem  determined  to  make  your- 
self and  those  around  yon  comfortable,"  said  Jack- 
son. Knowing  the  general  had  fasted  all  day,  the 
major  soon  obtained  some  bread  and  meat  from  the 
nearest  squad  of  soldiers,  and  after  they  had  satisfied 
their  hunger  they  slept  soundly  on  the  rail  bed  in  a 
fence  corner. 

The  Federals  picked  up  two  or  three  hundred  pris- 
oners, and  as  they  marched  them  through  the  streets 
of  Winchester  the  inhabitants  turned  out  almost  en 
masse  to  show  them  their  sympathy,  and  many  of 
their  friends  and  kindred  were  recognized  among  the 
captives.  The  next  day  the  citizens  asked  and  obtained 
permission  to  bury  the  Confederate  dead  on  the  battle- 
field, and  persons  of  all  ages  and  conditions  flocked 
thither,  for  there  was  scarcely  a  family  in  the  county 
which  had  not  a  relative  in  Jackson's  command ;  and 
with  torturing  anxiety  the  women  looked  into  the 
face  of  every  prostrate  form,  fearing  to  find  it  one  of 
their  own  loved  ones.  The  wounded  had  been  taken 
off  the  battle-field  by  their  general,  who  ordered  his 
medical  director.  Dr.  McGuire,  to  send  them  to  the 
rear.  As  the  army  was  retreating,  the  surgeon  said  : 
"  But  that  requires  time.  Can  you  stay  to  protect 
us?"     ''Make  yourself  easy  about  that,"  replied  he; 


RETIRES  TO   MOUNT  JACKSON.  247 

''  this  army  stays  here  until  the  hist  wounded  man  is 
removed."  And  then  with  deep  feehng  he  said :  "  Be- 
fore I  will  leave  them  to  the  enemy  I  will  lose  many 
more  men."  The  next  morning  after  the  battle,  Gen- 
eral Jackson  gradually  retired  before  the  advancing 
enemy,  once  more,  to  Mount  Jackson. 

To  his  wife  he  wrote  on  the  24tli  of  March : 

"  Yesterday  important  considerations,  in  my  opin- 
ion, rendered  it  necessary  to  attack  the  enemy  near 
Winchester.  The  action  commenced  about  3  p.m.  and 
lasted  until  dark.  Our  men  fought  bravely,  but  the 
superior  numbers  of  the  enemy  repulsed  me.  Many 
valuable  lives  were  lost.  Our  God  was  my  shield. 
His  protecting  care  is  an  additional  cause  for  grati- 
tude. 1  lost  one  piece  of  artillery  and  three  caissons. 
The  loss  of  the  enemy  in  killed  and  wounded  was 
probably  superior  to  ours." 

"  March  2Sth.  Near  Mount  Jackson.  .  .  .  My  lit- 
tle array  is  in  excellent  spirits.  It  feels  that  it  inflicted 
a  severe  blow  upon  the  enemy.  I  stayed  in  camp  last 
night  bivouacking.  To-day  I  am  in  the  house  of  a 
Mr.  Allen,  where  I  am  quite  comfortable.  This  is  a 
beautiful  country.  The  celebrated  Meem  farm  is  near 
here,  and  is  the  most  magnificent  one  that  1  know  of 
anywhere.  After  God,  our  God,  again  blesses  us  with 
peace,  I  hope  to  visit  this  country  with  ray  darling, 
and  enjoy  its  beauty  and  loveliness." 

"  April  7th.  My  precious  pet,  your  sickness  gives 
me  great  concern  ;  but  so  live  that  it,  and  all  your  tri- 
als, may  be  sanctified  to  you,  remembering  that  'our 


248  LIFE   OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

light  afflictions,  which  are  but  for  a  moment,  work  out 
for  us  a  far  more  exceeding  and  eternal  weight  of 
olory.'  I  trust  you  and  all  I  have  in  the  hands  of 
a  kind  Providence,  knowing  that  all  things  work  to- 
gether for  the  good  of  His  people. 

"  Yesterday  was  a  lovely  Sabbath  day.  Although 
I  had  not  the  privilege  of  hearing  the  word  of  life, 
yet  it  felt  like  a  holy  Sabbath  day,  beautiful,  serene, 
and  lovely.  All  it  wanted  was  the  church-bell  and 
God's  services  in  the  sanctuary  to  make  it  complete. 
.  .  .  Our  gallant  little  army  is  increasing  in  numbers, 
and  my  prayer  is  that  it  may  be  an  army  of  the  living 
God  as  well  as  of  its  country." 

"  April  lltli.  I  am  very  much  concerned  at  having 
no  letter  this  Aveek,  but  my  trust  is  in  the  Almighty. 
IIow  precious  is  the  consolation  flowing  from  the 
Christian's  assurance  that  'all  things  work  together 
for  good  to  them  that  love  God !'  .  .  .  God  gave  us  a 
glorious  victory  in  the  Southwest  [at  Shiloh],  but  the 
loss  of  the  great  Albert  Sidney  Johnston  is  to  be 
mourned.  1  do  not  remember  having  ever  felt  so  sad 
at  the  death  of  a  man  whom  I  had  nev^er  seen.  .  .  . 
Although  I  was  repulsed  in  the  attempt  to  recover 
Winchester,  yet  the  enemy's  loss  appears  to  have  been 
three  times  that  of  ours.  In  addition  to  this,  the  great 
object  which  required  me  to  follow  up  the  enemy,  as 
he  fell  back  from  Strasburg,  seems  to  have  been  ac- 
complished very  thoroughly.  I  am  well  satisfied  with 
the  result.  Congress  has  passed  a  vote  of  thanks,  and 
General  Johnston  has  issued  a  very  gratifying  order 
u|)on  the  subject,  (me  which  will  have  a  fine  effect 
upon  my  command.     The  great  object  to  be  acquired 


FIGHTING   A  BATTLE   OX   SUNDAY  249 

by  the  battle  demanded  time  to  ^n•dke  known  its  ac- 
complishments. Time  has  sliown  that  while  the  field 
is  in  possession  of  the  enemy,  the  most  essential  fruits 
of  the  battle  are  ours.  F'or  this  and  all  of  our  Heav- 
enly Father's  blessings,  I  wish  I  could  be  ten  thousand 
times  more  thankful.  Should  any  report  be  published, 
my  views  and  object  in  lighting  and  its  fruits  will 
then  become  known.  You  appear  much  concerned  at 
my  attacking  on  Sunday.  I  was  greatly  concerned, 
too ;  but  I  felt  it  my  duty  to  do  it,  in  consideration  of 
the  ruinous  effects  that  might  result  from  jiostponing 
the  battle  until  the  morning.  So  far  as  I  can  see,  my 
course  was  a  wise  one ;  the  best  that  I  could  do  under 
the  circumstances,  though  very  distasteful  to  my  feel- 
ings; and  I  hope  and  pray  to  our  Heavenly  Father 
that  I  may  never  again  be  circumstanced  as  on  that 
day.  I  believed  that  so  far  as  our  troops  were  con- 
cerned, necessity  and  mercy  both  called  for  the  battle. 
I  do  hope  the  war  will  soon  be  over,  and  that  I  shall 
never  again  have  to  take  the  field.  Arms  is  a  pro- 
fession that,  if  its  principles  are  adhered  to  for  suc- 
cess, requires  an  officer  to  do  what  he  fears  may  be 
wrong,  and  yet,  according  to  military  experience,  must 
be  done,  if  success  is  to  be  attained.  And  this  fact  of 
its  being  necessary  to  success,  and  being  accompanied 
with  success,  and  that  a  departure  from  it  is  accom- 
panied with  disaster,  suggests  tliat  it  must  be  right. 
Had  I  fought  the  battle  on  Monday  instead  of  Sun- 
day, I  fear  our  cause  would  have  suffered ;  whereas, 
as  things  turned  out,  I  consider  our  cause  gained  mucii 
from  the  enfjacjement." 

His  bold  attack  at  Kernstown,  though  unsuccess- 


250  LIFE   OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

ful,  led  to  many  important  results.  Its  first  effect 
was  the  accomplishment  of  one  of  the  principal  ob- 
jects of  the  Confederates — the  recall  of  the  Federal 
troops  then  marching  from  the  Yalley  towards 
Manassas.  It  had  also  the  effect  of  changing  the 
disposition  of  several  of  their  divisions  and  corps, 
and  producing  such  consternation  at  "Washington 
that  President  Lincoln  did  not  consider  his  capital 
secure,  and  detained  McDowell's  corps  in  front  of 
the  city,  although  General  McClellan  had  left  over 
forty  thousand  troops  for  its  defence  ! 

For  this  achievement  at  Ivernstown  the  Confederate 
Congress  passed  the  following  resolution  of  thanks: 

"  1.  EesoJved  by  the  Congress  of  the  Confederate 
States,  that  the  thanks  of  Congress  are  due,  and  are 
hereby  tendered,  to  Major-General  Thomas  J.  Jack- 
son, and  the  officers  and  men  under  his  command, 
for  gallant  and  meritorious  services  in  a  successful 
engagement  with  a  greatly  superior  force  of  the 
enemy  near  Ivernstown,  Frederick  County,  Virginia, 
on  the  23d  of  March,  1862.  2.  Resolved,  that  these 
resolutions  be  communicated  by  the  Secretary  of 
War  to  Major-General  Jackson,  and  by  him  to  his 
command." 

The  noble  women  of  Winchester,  during  the  whole 
war,  devoted  themselves  to  nursing  the  sick  and 
wounded  soldiers  with  tender  care  and  self-sacrifice, 
and  their  compassion  failed  not  even  in  administer- 
ing to  the  wounded  of  the  enemy.  And  after  the 
wai'  was  over,  from  the  midst  of  saddened  aiul  deso- 
late homes,  they  continued  their  self-denymg  care  for 


MEMORIALS   TO   THE    DEAD.  251 

the  ashes  of  the  bravo  men  to  whose  comfort  and 
encouragement  tliey  liad  contributed  so  freely  in  life, 
and  by  whose  suffering-  cots  they  had  often  watched' 
m  sorrow,  danger,  and  death.     Under  the  leadership 
of  Mrs.  Philip  Williams,  they  gathered  the  thousands 
of  Confederate   dead   from   the   surrounding   battle- 
fields and  placed  them  in  the  '^Stonewall  Cemetery  " 
—a  memorial  not  more  to  the  patriotisin  of  man  tlian 
to  the  devotion  of  woman.     They  also  erected  a  hand- 
some monument  to  '^The  Unknown  Dead"— and  th'^ 
State  of  Marylanil,  in  the  year  1880,  likewise  placed 
a  beautiful  monument  in  this  cemetery  in  memory  of 
her  brave  soldiers  who  fell  in  defence  of  the  Soutii. 
It  is  said  that  the  8tate  of  Xorth  Carolina  has  more 
soldiers  buried  upon  V^irginia  battle-fields  than  any 
other  Southern  State— a  fact  which  speaks  for  itself 
in  showing  the  heroic  part  borne  by  the  good  Old 
North  State  in  the  struggle  for  independence. 

The  next  month  after  the  battle  of  Kernstown  was 
to  General  Jackson  one  of  comparative  inaction.  He 
spent  it  in  recruiting  his  forces  and  reoi-ganizing  his 
regiments,  his  ranks  filling  up  under  the  new  impe- 
tus given  to  enlistment  by  a  new  conscription  bill, 
and  by  the  return  of  furloughed  men,  which  nearly 
doubled  the  number  of  his  troops  since  the  battle, 
but  even  yet  he  had  only  about  five  or  six  thousand 
men.  His  great  desire  to  j^ress  into  service  every 
available  man  in  Virginia  will  be  seen  by  the  fol- 
lowing letter,  which  he  wrote  on  the  21st  of  March  to 
Governor  Letcher's  aide-de-camp.  Colonel  French  : 

"  Colonel,— Please  request  the  governor  to  ordei- 
three  thousand  muskets  to  Staunton   at  his   earliest 


252  LIFE   OF   GENERAL   THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

convenience  for  the  militia  of  this  district.  None  of 
the  militia  beyond  the  county,  except  five  hundred 
from  Augusta,  have  yet  arrived,  but  they  are  turning 
out  encourau^infflv.  There  are  three  religious  denom- 
inations  in  this  military  district  who  are  opposed  to 
war.  Eighteen  [men]  were  recently  arrested  in  endeav- 
oring to  make  their  escape  through  Pendleton  County 
to  the  enemy.  Those  who  do  not  desert  will,  to  some 
extent,  hire  substitutes,  others  will  turn  out  in  obedi- 
ence to  the  governor's  call ;  but  I  understand  some  of 
them  say  they  will  not  'shoot.'  They  can  be  made 
to  fire,  but  can  very  easily  take  bad  aim.  So,  for  the 
purpose  of  giving  to  this  command  the  highest  degree 
of  efficiency,  and  securing  loyal  feelings  and  co-opera- 
tion, I  have,  as  these  non-combatants  are  said  to  be 
good  teamsters  and  faithful  to  their  promises,  deter- 
mined to  organize  them  into  companies  of  one  hundred 
men  each,  rank  and  file,  and  after  mustering  them, 
with  the  legal  number  of  company  officers,  into  ser- 
vice, assign  them  to  the  various  staff  departments 
without  issuing  arms  to  them ;  but  if  at  any  time 
they  have  insufficient  labor,  to  have  them  drilled,  so 
that  in  case  circumstances  should  justify  it,  arms  may 
be  given  them.  If  these  men  are,  as  represented  to 
me,  faithful  laborers  and  careful  of  property,  this  ar- 
rangement will  not  only  enable  many  volunteers  to 
return  to  the  ranks,  but  will  also  save  many  valuable 
horses  and  other  public  property,  in  addition  to  arms. 
.  .  .  All  I  have  pledged  myself  is  that,  as  far  as  prac- 
ticable, I  will  employ  them  in  other  ways  than  fighting, 
i)ut  with  the  condition  that  they  shall  act  in  good 
faith  with  me,  and  not  ])ermit  persons  to  use  their 
names  for  the  purpose  of  keeping  out  of  service." 


BANKS   FOLLOWS   JACKSON   SLOWLY.  253 

On  the  28th  of  April,  (Teneral  Jackson  applied  to 
General  Lee,  then  acting  as  commander-in-chief  under 
President  Davis,  for  a  reinforcement  of  five  thousand 
men,  which  addition  to  his  force  he  deemed  necessary 
to  justify  him  in  marching  out  and  attacking  Banks. 
Next  day  he  was  informed  that  no  troops  could  be 
spared  to  him  beyond  the  commands  of  Generals  Ewell 
and  Edward  Johnson,  the  latter  of  whom  was  seven 
miles  west  of  Staunton,  at  West  View,  with  a  brigade. 
General  J.  E.  Johnston  had  transferred  the  mass  of  his 
army  to  the  front  of  Richmond,  where  he  had  taken 
command  in  person.  Swell's  division  alone  remained 
on  the  Rappahannock  to  watch  the  enemy,  and  to 
aid  Jackson  in  case  of  need.  This  division  Avas  now 
near  Gordonsville,  and  a  good  road  from  that  point  to 
Swift  Run  Gap  placed  it  in  easy  reach  of  Jackson. 
Banks  followed  Jackson  but  slowly.  He  reached 
Woodstock  on  April  1st,  and  having  pushed  Ashb3'''s 
cavalry  back  to  Edinburg,  five  miles  beyond,  he 
attempted  no  further  serious  advance  until  the  17th. 
He  then  moved  forward  in  force,  and  flackson  retired 
to  Harrisonburg,  and,  crossing  the  main  fork  of  the 
Shenandoah,  took  up  his  position  at  the  western  base 
of  the  Blue  Ridge,  in  Swift  Run  Gap.  This  camp 
the  Confederates  reached  on  the  20th  of  April,  and 
here  they  remained  through  ten  days  more  of  rain 
and  mud. 

On  the  Ifith  of  April,  General  Jackson  wrote  to 
his  wife  as  follows : 

"  Near  Nkw  ^Iarket. 

"  This  morning  is  warm  and  spring-like,  and  this 
country  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  that  I  ever 
beheld.  ...  On  last  Wednesday  the  enemy  advanced 


254     LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

on  me  at  one  o'clock  a.  m.,  and  I  fell  back  to  this 
place,  where  I  arrived  on  Friday.  My  route  was 
through  New  Market  and  Hari'isonburg.  I  am  about 
midway  between  Harrisonburg  and  Stannardsville. 
The  enemy  did  not  advance  as  far  as  Harrisonburg 
on  the  Valley  turnpike.  The  advance  of  the  two 
armies  is  within  a  few  miles  of  each  other.  ...  I  do 
want  so  much  to  see  my  darling,  but  fear  such  a  priv- 
ilege will  not  be  enjo3'ed  for  some  time  to  come." 

"  Swift  Run  Gap. 

..."  Dr.  Dabney  is  here,  and  I  am  very  thankful 
to  God  for  it.  He  comes  up  to  my  highest  expecta- 
tions as  a  staff-officer.'" 

"Staunton,  May  5tli. 

"  Since  I  last  wrote  to  my  darling  1  have  been 
very  busy.  On  Wednesday  last  I  left  my  position 
near  Swift  Run  Gap,  and  moved  up  the  south  fork 
of  the  Shenandoah  to  Port  Eepublic,  which  is  about 
three  miles  from  Weyer's  Cave.  I  w^ould  like  to  see 
the  cave,  for  I  remembered  that  my  little  pet  had 
been  there,  and  that  gave  me  a  deeper  interest  in  the 
great  curiosity.  The  road  up  the  river  was  so  treach- 
erous that  I  could  only  advance  about  six  miles  per 
day,  and  to  leave  the  road  was  at  the  risk  of  sinking 
yet  deeper  in  the  quicksands,  in  which  that  locality 
abounds.  The  countrj'^  is  one  of  the  loveliest  I  have 
ever  seen.  On  Saturday  the  march  was  resumed, 
and  we  crossed  the  Blue  Ridge  at  what  is  known  as 
Brown's  Gap,  and  thus  entered  into  Eastern  Virginia. 
I  stopped  with  a  very  agreeable  family  named  Pace. 
Here  I  expected  to  pass  the  Sabbath,  but  on  Sunday 
morning  1  received  a  despatch  stating  that  part  of  the 


POSITION   OF   THE   TWO   ARMIES.  255 

enemy's  force  had  arrived  within  one  day's  march  of 
Brigadier-General  Edward  Johnson's  camp.  Under 
the  circumstances  I  felt  it  incumbent  upon  me  to 
press  forward,  and  I  arrived  here  hist  evening,  where 
I  am  stopping  at  the  Virginia  House.  The  troops  are 
still  coming  in.  The  corps  of  cadets  of  the  Virginia 
Mihtary  Institute  is  here." 

General  Edward  Johnson  was  seven  miles  west  of 
Staunton  with  about  thirty-five  hundred  men.  Gen- 
eral Jackson  had  about  six  thousand  troops,  and  Gen- 
eral Ewell,  with  an  equal  force,  was  in  the  vicinity  of 
Gordonsville.  Such  was  the  Confederate  position.  On 
the  other  hand,  Banks,  with  the  main  body  of  his  force 
of  about  twenty  thousand  men,  occupied  Harrisonburg, 
twelve  or  fifteen  miles  in  front  of  General  Jackson. 
Schenck  and  Milroy,  commanding  Fremont's  advance 
of  six  thousand  men,  were  in  front  of  Edward  John- 
son, their  pickets  already  east  of  the  Shenandoah 
mountain,  and  on  the  Harrisonburg  and  Warm  Springs 
turnpike.  Fremont  was  preparing  to  join  them  from 
the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad  with  nearly  ten  thou- 
sand men,  making  the  total  of  Fremont's  movable 
column  some  fifteen  thousand  ;  so,  with  a  force  of 
about  sixteen  thousand  men  (including  Ewell  and  Ed- 
ward Johnson),  General  Jackson  had  on  his  hands  the 
thirty-five  thousand  under  Banks  and  Fremont.  The 
Warm  Springs  turnpike  afforded  Banks  a  ready  mode 
of  uniting  with  Milroy  and  Schenck,  in  which  case 
Staunton  w^ould  be  an  eas}''  capture.  Fremont  was 
already  preparing  to  move  in  that  direction.  Jackson 
determined  to  anticipate  such  a  movement,  if  possible, 
by  uniting  his  own  force  to  that  of  Johnson,  and  fall- 


256  I^I^'E   OF  GENERAL   THOMAS   J.  JACKSOX. 

ing  upon  Milrov,  while  Ewell  kept  Banks  in  check. 
Then  he  would  join  Ewell,  and  with  all  his  strength 
attack  Banks.  To  accomplish  this,  Ewell  was  ordered 
to  cross  the  mountain  and  occupy  the  position  Jackson 
had  held  for  ten  days  at  Swift  Ilun  Gap,  thus  kee])- 
ing  up  the  menace  of  Banks's  Hank.  As  Ewell  ap- 
proached, Jackson  left  camp  on  the  30th  of  April,  and 
marched  up  the  east  bank  of  the  Shenandoah  to  Port 
Republic,  and  on  the  5th  of  May  he  reached  Staunton 
with  his  army,  after  a  toilsome  march  through  the 
mud  and  frequent  quicksands.  The  movement  of  this 
devious  route  mystified  friends  as  well  as  foes.  The 
good  people  of  Staunton  were  almost  as  much  aston- 
ished Avhen  General  Jackson  made  his  sudden  appear- 
ance in  their  town  as  if  an  angel  had  dropped  down 
from  the  clouds ;  for,  like  Banks,  they  thought  he  had 
withdrawn  fi-oin  the  valley  and  disappeared  into  East- 
ern Virginia,  no  one  knew  whither.  lie  gave  his 
troops  one  day  to  rest,  and  on  the  next  he  hurried  for- 
ward, united  Johnson's  force  with  his  own,  drove  in 
the  Federal  pickets  and  foraging  parties,  and  camped 
twenty-five  miles  west  of  Staunton.  On  the  mori-ow 
(May  8th)  he  pushed  on  to  McDowell,  seized  Sitliug- 
ton's  Hill,  wdiich  commanded  the  town  and  enemy's 
camp,  and  made  his  dispositions  to  seize  the  road  in 
rear  of  the  enemy  dui'ing  the  night.  But  Milroy  and 
Schenck  had  united,  and  seeing  their  position  unten- 
able, made  a  fierce  attack  in  the  afternoon  to  retake 
the  hill  or  cover  their  retreat  For  three  or  four  hours 
a  bloody  struggle  took  place  on  the  brow  of  Sitling- 
ton's  1 1  ill.  The  Federals,  though  inflicting  severe  loss, 
were  repulsed  at  every  point,  and  at  nightfall  quietly 
withdrew.     This  was  known  as  the  battle  of  Me  Dow- 


THANKSGIVING   FOR   VICTORY.  257 

ell.  The  enemy  lit  their  camp-fires,  and  in  the  dark- 
ness evacuated  the  town,  retreating  twenty-four  miles 
to  Franklin,  in  Pendleton  County,  where  they  met 
Fremont  advancing  with  the  main  body  of  his  forces. 
Jackson  followed  to  this  point ;  but,  finding  it  impos- 
sible to  attack  to  advantage,  deemed  it  inadvisable  to 
attempt  anything  further  in  this  difficult  country,  with 
his  ten  thousand  men  against  Fremont's  fourteen  or 
fifteen  thousand.  Screening  completely  his  move- 
ments with  cavalry,  he  turned  back  (May  13th\ 
marched  rapidly  to  within  seventeen  miles  of  Staun- 
ton, then  turned  towards  Harrisonburg,  and  sent  a 
despatch  to  General  Ewell  that  he  was  on  his  way  to 
attack  Banks  with  their  united  forces.  On  the  12th 
of  May  he  wrote  thus  to  his  wife : 

"  Headquarters,  Valley  District,  near  Franklin. 

"  My  precious  darling,  I  telegraphed  3^ou  on  the  9th 
that  God  had  blest  us  with  victory  at  McDowell.  I 
have  followed  the  enemy  to  this  place,  which  is  about 
three  miles  from  Franklin.  The  enemy  has  been  rein- 
forced, and  apparently  designs  making  a  stand  beyond 
Franklin.  I  expect  to  reconnoitre  to-day,  but  do  not 
know  as  yet  whether  I  will  attack  him  thus  reinforced. 
We  have  divine  service  at  ten  o'clock  to-day  (Monday) 
to  render  thanks  to  Almighty  God  for  having  crowned 
our  arms  with  success,  and  to  implore  His  continued 

favor." 

"  Near  Harrisonburg,  May  19th. 

..."  How  I  do  desire  to  see  our  country  free  and 

at  peace !     It  appears  to  me  that  I  would  appreciate 

home  more  than  I  have  ever  done  before.    Here  I  am 

sitting  in  the  open  air,  writing  on  my  knee  for  want 

17 


258  LIFE   OF   GENERAL   THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

of  a  table.  .  ,  .  Yesterday  Dr.  Dabney  preached  an 
excellent  sermon  from  the  text :  '  Come  unto  me,  all 
ye  that  labor  and  are  heavy  laden,  and  I  will  give  you 
rest.'     It  is  a  great  privilege  to  have  him  with  me." 

Before  beginning  his  march  on  his  return,  he  grant- 
ed his  soldiers  a  rest  of  half  a  day  on  Monday,  and 
issued  the  following  order : 

"  Soldiers  of  the  Army  of  the  Yalley  and  Northwest : 
"  I  congratulate  you  on  your  recent  victory  at  Mc- 
Dowell. I  request  you  to  unite  with  me  this  morn- 
ing in  thanksgiving  to  Almighty  God  for  thus  having 
crowned  your  arms  with  success,  and  in  praying  that 
He  will  continue  to  lead  you  on  from  victory  to  vic- 
tory, until  our  independence  shall  be  established,  and 
make  us  that  people  whose  God  is  the  Lord.  The 
chaplains  will  hold  divine  service  at  ten  o'clock  a.m. 
this  day  in  their  respective  regiments."  * 

The  day  after  the  battle  he  sent  the  following  brief 
announcement  to  the  government  at  Richmond : 

*  A  writer  thus  describes  this  scene :  "  Tliere,  in  the  beautiful 
little  valley  of  the  South  Branch,  witli  the  blue  and  towering 
mountains  covered  with  the  verdure  of  spring,  the  green -sward 
smiling  a  welcome  to  the  season  of  flowers,  and  the  bright  sun, 
unclouded,  lending  a  genial,  refreshing  wannth  —  that  army, 
equipped  for  the  stern  conflict  of  war,  bent  in  humble  praise  and 
thanksgiving  for  the  success  vouchsafed  to  their  arms.  While 
this  solemn  ceremony  was  progressing  in  every  regiment,  the  ene- 
my's artillery  was  occasionally  l)elching  forth  its  leaden  death; 
yet  all  unmoved  stood  that  worshipping  army,  acknowledging 
the  supremacy  of  the  will  of  Him  wlio  controls  the  destinies  of 
men  and  nations,  and  chooses  the  weak  things  of  earth  to  con- 
found the  mighty." 


TAKING  THE  RESPONSIBILITY.  259 

"  God  blest  our  arms  with  victory  at  McDowell 
Station  yesterday. 

"  T.  J.  Jackson,  Major-General." 

About  the  time  General  Ewell  received  the  message 
from  General  Jackson  to  join  him  at  Harrisonburg, 
an  order  came  from  General  Johnston  calling  him  with 
his  force  back  to  Gordonsville.  But  Ewell,  knowing 
what  a  disappointment  it  would  be  to  Jackson  to  thus 
have  all  his  plans  destroyed  by  want  of  his  support, 
determined  to  have  an  interview  with  Jackson  before 
moving  in  any  direction.  He  accordingly  rode  a  day 
and  night  to  see  him,  and  in  the  conference  both  were 
sorely  perplexed  as  to  what  was  their  duty  under  the 
circumstances;  Jackson  not  questioning  the  right  of 
superior  authority,  and  saying  regretfully :  "  Then 
Providence  denies  me  the  privilege  of  striking  a  de- 
cisive blow  for  my  country,  and  I  must  be  satisfied 
with  the  humble  task  of  hiding  my  little  army  among 
these  mountains  to  watch  a  superior  force."  But  Ewell 
proposed  that  if  Jackson,  as  his  ranking  oflRcer,  would 
take  the  responsibility,  he  would  remain  until  the 
condition  of  affairs  could  be  represented  to  General 
Johnston,  which  was  decided  upon,  and  meantime  they 
united  in  a  vigorous  pursuit  of  Banks.  Ash  by  had 
followed  close  on  Banks's  heels,  and  now  occupied 
his  outposts  with  constant  skirmishing,  while  he  com- 
pletely screened  Jackson.  The  latter,  having  marched 
rapidly  to  New  Market,  as  if  about  to  follow  the  foe 
to  Strasburg  to  attack  him  there,  suddenly  changed 
his  route,  crossed  the  Massanutton  Mountain  to  Luray, 
where  Ewell  joined  him,  and  poured  down  the  narrow 
Page  Valley  by  forced  marches  towards  Front  Royal. 


260  LIl'E   OF   GENERAL   THOMAS  J.  JACKSON'. 

The  Confederates  marched  from  Frankhn  to  Front 
Ro3^al,  a  distance  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles, 
by  Jackson's  route,  in  ten  days,  and  arrived  at  the 
latter  place  on  tlie  23d  of  May.  Front  Royal  was 
held  by  about  one  thousand  Federals  under  Colonel 
Kenly,  who  had  charge  of  large  stores,  and  of  the 
railroad  and  the  important  railroad  bridges  on  the 
Shenandoah.  This  force  covered  the  flank  and  rear 
of  Banks's  position  at  Strasburg,  Kenly  was  taken 
by  surprise,  but  after  making  what  resistance  he  could, 
was  forced  across  the  bridges  which  he  vainly  attempt- 
ed to  destroy,  and  fled  to  Winchester.  Jackson,  too  im- 
patient to  wait  for  his  tired  infantry,  placed  himself  at 
the  head  of  a  few  companies  of  cavalry,  and  pushed 
after  the  foe,  whom  he  overtook,  attacked,  and  dis- 
persed so  effectually,  that  of  those  who  were  not  killed 
or  wounded,  the  greater  part  were  taken  prisoners. 

Exhausted  nature  could  do  no  more.  The  weary 
and  march-worn  army  sank  down  to  rest.  General 
Banks,  amazed  at  this  irruption,  by  which  his  flank  was 
turned  and  his  communications  tlireatened,  began  dur- 
ing the  night  a  precipitate  retreat  from  Strasburg  to 
Winchester.  Jackson  anticipates  this,  and  pressed  on 
the  next  morning  to  Middletown,  a  village  between 
Strasburg  and  Winchester,  to  find  the  road  filled  with 
Federal  trains  and  troops.  Capturing  or  scattering 
these  in  every  direction,  he  followed  on  after  the  main 
body,  Avhich  had  already  passed  him,  towards  Winches- 
ter. He  overtook  them  in  the  afternoon  —  pushed 
Banks's  rear-guard  In^fore  him  all  niglit,  giving  tiie 
main  body  of  his  tr()0})s  only  one  hour  to  rest  u])()n 
their  arms.  The  advance  regiment,  under  Colonel 
Baylor,  were  not  allowed  to  lie  down  at  all,  while  tlieii- 


BANKS   DRR^EN   ACROSS  THE   POTOMAC.  261 

vio-ilant  and  untirin"-  commander  stood  sentinel  him- 
self  at  the  head  of  the  column,  listening  to  every  sound 
from  the  front.  At  dawn,  he  gave  in  an  undertone 
the  command,  "  Forward  !  March  !"  which  was  passed 
down  the  command,  and  by  daylight  on  the  25th  of 
May  he  reached  Winchester  to  find  the  Federal  forces 
drawn  up  across  the  approaches  to  the  town  from  the 
south  and  southeast.  A  vigorous  attack  was  at  once 
made  by  the  Confederates,  which  for  a  short  time  was 
bravely  resisted,  but  the  Federal  lines  soon  began  to 
yield,  and,  seeing  himself  about  to  be  overwhelmed, 
Banks  retreated  through  Winchester.  General  Jack- 
son pressed  closely,  and  the  Federals  emerged  from 
the  town  a  mass  of  disorganized  fugitives,  making 
their  way  with  all  speed  towards  the  Potomac.  See- 
ing the  enemy  break,  Jackson  set  spurs  to  his  horse, 
and,  bounding  upon  the  crest  of  a  hill,  shouted  to  his 
men :  "  Forward !  After  the  enemy  !"  and  with  a  face 
aflame  with  animation  and  triumph,  he  galloped 
amidst  the  foremost  pursuers.  The  Confederate  in- 
fantry followed  for  several  miles,  capturing  a  large 
number  of  prisoners,  and  had  the  cavalry  been  as  eflS 
cient,  but  few  of  Banks's  troops  would  have  escaped. 
The  troopers  who  proved  derelict  at  this  crisis  had 
yielded  to  the  temptation  of  the  rich  spoils  they  had 
captured  from  the  enemy,  and,  as  General  Jackson 
expressed  it,  "  forgetful  of  their  high  trust  as  the  ad- 
vance-guard of  a  pursuing  army,  deserted  their  colors 
and  abandoned  themselves  to  pillage  to  such  an  ex- 
tent as  to  make  it  necessary  for  the  gallant  Ashby  to 
discontinue  further  pursuit."  This  was  a  ])ainful  dis- 
appointment to  General  Jackson,  and  as  he  watched 
the  flight  of  the  multitude  of  fugitive,  and  saw  the 


262  LIFE   OF   GENERAL  THOMAS   J.  JACKSON. 

golden  opportunity  for  cavalry  to  make  the  victory 
complete,  he  exclaimed  with  bitter  regret :  "  Oh  that 
my  cavalry  were  in  place !  Never  was  there  sucli  a 
chance  for  cavalry !"  In  his  official  report  he  says : 
"  Never  have  I  seen  an  opportunity  when  it  was  in 
the  power  of  cavalry  to  reap  a  richer  harvest  of  the 
fruits  of  victory !" 

Banks  halted  on  the  north  side  of  the  Potomac,  and 
Jackson  allowed  his  exhausted  men  to  rest  at  Win- 
chester. In  forty-eight  hours  the  enemy  had  been 
driven  between  fifty  and  sixty  miles,  from  Front  Royal 
and  Strasburg  to  the  Potomac,  Avith  the  loss  of  more 
than  one  third  of  his  entire  strength.  His  army  had 
crossed  that  river  a  disorganized  mass.  Hundreds  of 
wagons  had  been  abandoned  or  burned.  An  immense 
quantity  of  quartermaster,  commissary,  medical,  and 
ordnance  stores  had  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  victor. 
These  stores  were  estimated  by  the  Confederate  quar- 
termaster as  worth  $300,000,  and  proved  of  inesti- 
mable value  to  the  Confederacy.  Some  twenty-three 
hundred  prisoners  were  taken  to  the  rear  when  Gen- 
eral Jackson  fell  back,  besides  seven  hundred  and  fifty 
wounded,  sick,  paroled,  and  left  in  the  hospitals  at 
Winchester  and  Strasburg,  making  a  total  of  about 
three  thousand  and  fifty.  The  victory  Avas  glorious, 
even  if  the  weary  and  march-Avorn  command  had  not 
achieved  all  that  their  tireless  and  ind<jmitable  lead- 
er thought  possible.  Winchester,  having  for  several 
months  been  in  the  liands  of  the  enemy,  the  joy  of  the 
inhabitants  knew  no  bounds  when  they  cauglit  sight 
of  the  victorious  Confederates,  whom  they  welcomed 
as  their  deliverers  and  greeted  witli  the  wildest  enthu- 
siasm.   Universal  rejoicing  wms  mimire.sted  by  all  ages 


WHAT  HAD  BEEN  DONE  IN  FOUR  WEEKS.     263 

and  sexes.  That  liistoric  old  town  and  its  beautiful 
environs  presented,  by  the  afternoon  of  IMay  25th,  an 
aspect  of  quiet  and  repose  strangely  in  contrast  with 
the  stormy  scenes  of  the  morning. 

Monday,  the  day  after  the  engagements  around 
Winchester,  was  spent,  according  to  General  Jack- 
son's custom,  in  religious  services  and  thanksgiving, 
the  following  general  order  being  issued  by  him  on 
the  morning  of  that  day  : 

'  Within  four  weeks  this  army  has  made  long  and 
rapid  marches,  fought  six  combats  and  two  battles — 
signally  defeating  the  enemy  in  each  one — capturing 
several  stands  of  colors  and  pieces  of  artillery,  with 
numerous  prisoners,  and  vast  medical,  ordnance,  and 
army  stores;  and,  finally,  driven  the  boastful  host 
which  was  ravaging  our  beautiful  country  into  utter 
rout.  The  general  commanding  would  warmly  ex- 
press to  the  officers  and  men  under  his  command  his 
joy  in  their  achievements,  and  his  thanks  for  their  brill- 
iant gallantry  in  action  and  their  patient  obedience 
under  the  hardships  of  forced  marches,  often  more 
painful  to  tlie  brave  soldier  than  the  dangers  of  battle. 
The  explanation  of  the  severe  exertions  to  which  the 
commanding  general  called  the  army,  which  were  en- 
dured by  them  with  such  cheerful  confidence  in  him,  is 
now  given  in  the  victory  of  yesterday.  He  receives 
this  proof  of  their  confidence  in  the  past  with  pride 
and  gratitude,  and  asks  only  a  similar  confidence  in 
the  future.  But  his  chief  duty  to-day,  and  that  of  the 
army,  is  to  recognize  devoutly  the  hand  of  a  protecting 
Providence  in  the  brilliant  successes  of  the  last  three 
days — which  have  given  us  the  results  of  a  great  vie- 


264  LIl-'E   OF   GENERAL   THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

tory  without  great  losses — and  to  make  the  oblation  of 
our  thanks  to  God  for  His  mercies  to  us  and  our  coun- 
try in  heartfelt  acts  of  religious  worship.  For  this  pur- 
pose the  troops  will  remain  in  camp  to-day,  suspending 
as  far  as  possible  all  military  exercises,  and  the  chap- 
lains of  reo-iments  will  hold  divine  service  in  their  sev- 
eral  charges  at  four  o'clock  p.m." 

The  next  day  was  devoted  to  rest ;  and  on  the  third 
he  moved  on  again  towards  Harper's  Ferry,  in  order, 
by  the  most  energetic  diversions  possible,  to  draw 
away  troops  from  Kichmond. 

The  total  rout  of  Banks  at  Winchester  created  such 
a  panic  in  Washington  that  President  Lincoln  sent  a 
despatch  to  McDowell  to  lay  aside  for  the  present  his 
movement  upon  Richmond,  and  put  twenty  thousand 
men  in  motion  at  once  for  the  Shenandoah,  to  meet 
the  forces  of  Jackson  and  Ewell.  And  in  a  despatch 
to  McClellan,  of  the  25th  of  May,  he  says  : 

"  Banks  ran  a  race  with  them,  beating  them  into 
Winchester  yesterday  evening.  This  morning  a  battle 
ensued  between  the  two  forces,  in  which  Banks  was 
beaten  back  in  full  retreat  towards  Martinsburg,  and 
probably  is  broken  up  in  a  total  rout." 

A  favorite  aphorism  of  General  Jackson's  was: 
"  Xever  take  counsel  of  your  fears."  While  President 
Lincoln  was  thus  "taking  counsel  of  his  foars"  and 
promptly  ordering  troops  from  all  directions  to  over- 
wliohn  Jackson,  the  latter  was  resting  from  tlie  fa- 
tigues of  his  forced  marches  at  AVinchestor.  His  loss 
during  the  whole  expedition  was  four  hundred  men. 


REJOICINGS   IN   WINCHESTER.  265 

The  entire  sti-ength  of  his  force  was  not  over  fifteen 
thousand  men.  All  the  energy  of  a  great  government 
was  now  expended  in  gathering  about  him  a  force  of 
between  fifty-five  and  sixty  thousand  men.  Fremont, 
who  had  been  quietly  resting  at  Franklin  while  Gen- 
eral Jackson  was  making  forced  marches  after  Banks, 
was  startled  by  the  tidings  of  the  Federal  rout,  as  he 
himself  was  ordered  by  the  President  to  take  up  his 
march,  and  come  to  the  rescue  in  saving  the  national 
capital  from  the  grasp  of  the  redoubtable  Confederate 
leader.  On  the  26th  of  May  General  Jackson  wrote 
thus  to  his  wife  from  Winchester : 

"My  precious  darling,  an  ever -kind  Providence 
blest  us  Avith  success  at  Front  Royal  on  Friday,  be- 
tween Strasburg  and  Winchester  on  Saturday,  and 
here  with  a  successful  engagement  on  yesterday.  I 
do  not  remember  having  ever  seen  such  rejoicing  as 
was  manifested  by  the  people  of  Winchester  as  our 
army  yesterday  passed  through  the  town  in  pursuit  of 
the  enemy.  The  people  seemed  nearly  frantic  with 
joy;  indeed,  it  would  be  almost  impossible  to  describe 
their  manifestations  of  rejoicing  and  gratitude.  Our 
entrance  into  Winchester  was  one  of  the  most  stirriner 
scenes  of  my  life.  The  town  is  much  improved  in 
loyalty  to  our  cause.  Your  friends  greatly  desired  to 
see  you  Avith  me.  Last  night  I  called  to  see  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Graham,  who  were  very  kind.  .  .  .  Time  forbids 
a  longer  letter,  but  it  does  'not  forbid  my  loving  my 
esposita.'"' 


CHAPTEK  XIY. 

CROSS   KEYS  AND   PORT   REPUBLIC— 1862. 

After  his  victory  at  Winchester,  General  Jackson 
despatched  a  trusted  messenger  to  Richmond  to  ask 
for  reinforcements,  and  even  that  he  should  be  given 
a  force  sufficient  to  march  on  Washington,  believing 
that  this  would  be  the  surest  way  to  break  the  for- 
midable lines  which  the  enemy  were  now  drawing 
round  the  Confederate  cajDital.  "•  Tell  them,"  he  said, 
"  that  I  have  but  fifteen  thousand  effective  men.  If 
the  present  opening  is  improved,  as  it  should  be,  I 
must  have  forty  thousand."  But  the  government  de- 
cided that  it  would  be  unsafe  to  withdraw  any  troops 
from  the  defence  of  Richmond,  but  directed  him  to 
carry  out  his  plan  to  the  extent  of  making  a  feint  of 
an  invasion  of  Maryland,  and  of  a  move  upon  Wash- 
ington, and  to  retreat  when  he  became  too  much  en- 
dangered by  overwhelming  numbers.  He  marched  to 
Harper's  Ferry,  closely  watching  the  approach  of  the 
enemy,  and  concluded  on  the  30th  of  May  that  it  was 
time  to  withdraw  his  small  army  if  he  would  pass 
between  the  converging  armies  of  Fremont  and  IVIc- 
Dowell.  By  his  march  tp  Harper's  Ferry  he  bad  in- 
tensified the  ])anic  at  AVashington,  but  he  had  now 
carried  out  his  instructions  to  the  extreme  point  con- 
sistent with  safety. 

The  movements  of  the  large  bodies  of  troops  which 


JACKSON   PASSES   BETWEEN   TWO   ARMIES.  267 

President  Lincoln  had  been  for  some  days  urging  with 
such  haste  towards  his  rear,  now  demanded  his  atten- 
tion. Shields  was  pouring  down  from  the  mountain- 
pass  to  Front  Royal  to  cut  him  off.  The  combined 
forces  of  McDowell  and  Fremont,  which  were  nearly 
three  times  that  of  the  Confederates,  were  hastening 
from  opposite  directions  to  intercept  his  retreat ;  and 
once  at  Strasburg,  the  way  would  be  barred.  From 
the  Potomac  side  the  combined  forces  of  Banks  and 
Saxton  amounted  to  fourteen  thousand  men,  that 
w^ere  ready  to  close  in  on  his  retreat.  In  this  peril- 
ous situation,  Jackson  decided  to  occupy  Strasburg 
in  advance,  and  to  pass  swiftly  between  the  two 
principal  armies  gathering  for  his  destruction.  It 
was  a  case  in  which  supreme  audacity  was  the  most 
consummate  skill.  He  lost  no  time  in  escaping 
from  the  dangers  that  threatened  him — sending  for- 
ward his  twenty  -  three  hundred  prisoners  under  a 
guard ;  then  his  long  trains,  many  loaded  with  capt- 
ured stores,  followed  by  his  whole  army  of  scarcely 
fifteen  thousand  men.  The  march  was  made  without 
molestation,  the  main  body  of  his  troops  camping  at 
Strasburg  on  the  night  of  the  31st.  Of  these  the 
larger  part  had  marched  twenty-five  miles  the  day 
before,  and  the  rear-guard,  under  (leneral  Winder, 
which  had  kept  up  a  running  skirmish  with  the 
enemy  between  Harper's  Ferry  and  Winchester,  had 
marched  thirty-five  miles.  Tlius,  in  a  single  day, 
Jackson  had  put  thirty  miles  between  himself  and  the 
slow  columns  of  Saxton  and  Banks,  and  took  position 
directly  between  the  armies  of  Fremont  and  McDow- 
ell, which  had  been  sent  to  crush  him.  Fremont  had 
orders  from  Mr.  Lincoln  to  enter  Strasburg  that  after- 


268     LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSOX. 

noon,  but  he  stopped  several  miles  short  of  the  town, 
hindered  probably  by  a  violent  rain-storm  ;  but,  what- 
ever the  cause,  the  result  was  the  loss  of  all  oppor- 
tunity to  cut  off  Jackson's  retreat. 

The  next  morning  Fremont  made  a  feeble  effort  to 
advance,  but  evidently  hesitated  to  bring  down  the 
whole  of  Jackson's  force  on  himself,  wiiile  uncertain 
that  McDowell  was  in  supporting  distance.  The  lat- 
ter, on  coming  up,  said  he  found  "  it  was  too  late  to 
get  ahead  of  Jackson  then."  Shields  was  sent  in  pur- 
suit in  another  direction  to  "head  off"  Jackson,  but 
the  latter  had  gained  a  day's  start,  and  with  his  entire 
force  continued  to  retreat  towards  Harrisonburg, 

Between  Friday  morning  (when  Jackson  was  in 
front  of  Harper's  Ferry)  and  Sunday  night .  he  had 
marched  a  distance  of  between  fifty  and  sixty  miles, 
though  encumbered  with  prisoners  and  captured 
stores,  and  reached  Strasburg  before  either  of  his  ad- 
versaries, having  passed  safely  between  them,  while  he 
held  Fremont  at  bay  by  a  show  of  force,  and  blinded 
and  bewildered  McDowell  by  the  rapidity  of  his  move- 
ments. In  order  to  prevent  the  })ursuit  of  Shields  by 
the  Luray  Valley,  and  his  "  heading  off,"  Jackson  de- 
spatched a  detachment  of  cavalry  to  burn  the  three 
bridges  over  the  South  Fork  of  the  Shenandoah,  which 
was  effected  without  opposition.  Having  taken  this 
measure  to  free  himself  for  the  time  from  one  of  his 
pursuers,  he  fell  back  more  leisurely  before  the  other. 

On  Monday  (June  2)  he  retreated  to  Mount  Jack- 
son.  On  tliis  day  he  wi'ote  his  wife  those  few  hurried 
lines : 

"  I  am  again  retiring  before  the  enemy.     They  en- 


MOVES   TOWARDS   PORT   REPUBLIC.  269 

deavored  to  oet  in  iny  rear  by  moving  on  both  flanks 
of  my  gallant  army,  but  our  God  has  been  my  guide 
and  saved  me  from  their  grasp.  You  must  not  expect 
long  letters  from  me  in  such  busy  times  as  these,  but 
always  believe  that  your  husband  never  forgets  his 
httle  darling." 

On  the  3d  he  fell  back  to  New  Market.  Ashby, 
who  had  received  his  commission  as  brigadier-general 
at  Winchester  a  few  days  before,  was  now  placed  in 
command  of  all  the  cavalry,  and  to  him  was  commit- 
ted the  duty  of  protecting  the  rear.  The  Confederates 
were  closely  followed  by  Fremont's  advance,  with 
Avhom  Ashby  constantly  skirmished,  checking  them 
whenever  they  came  too  near:  and  bv  burnino^  the 
bridge  over  which  the  Confederates  crossed,  their  ad- 
vance was  held  back  for  a  day.  Jackson  continued 
his  retreat,  and  on  the  5th  reached  Harrison buro-. 

Here  he  changed  his  line  of  march,  and,  leaving  the 
valley  turnpike,  moved  in  the  direction  of  Port  Re- 
public and  Brown's  Gap.  His  first  care  was  to  pre- 
vent a  union  of  the  forces  of  Fremont  and  Shields,  for 
which  he  burned  the  only  bridge  over  the  Shenandoah 
by  which  they  could  cross,  while  he  held  the  only 
ready  means  of  communication  between  them,  the 
bridge  at  Port  Eepublic.  By  destroying  the  other 
bridges  he  had  placed  a  barrier  between  his  two  pur- 
suers, and  now  he  occupied  the  point  Avhere  their  two 
routes  converged.  No  farther  to  the  rear  would  the 
Shenandoah  serve  as  a  barrier  to  their  junction,  for 
south  of  Port  liepublic  its  head-waters  are  easily  ford- 
able.  General  Jackson  sent  his  sick  and  wounded  to 
Staunton,  having  overcome  what  was  thought  an  in- 


270      LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

surmountable  obstacle  in  having  a  ferry  constructed 
to  convey  them  over  the  swollen  river. 

On  the  6th  Ashby  was  attacked  by  a  body  of  Fre- 
mont's cavalry,  under  command  of  Colonel  Sir  Percy 
Wyndham,  an  English  officer  who  had  taken  service 
in  the  Union  army,  and  now  rushed  into  the  fray, 
without  sufficient  knowledge  of  the  situation,  and  was 
defeated  and  taken  prisoner  with  sixty-three  of  his 
men.  As  soon  as  the  news  of  his  repulse  was  received 
at  Fremont's  headquarters,  a  strong  force  was  ordered 
forward  to  hold  the  farther  end  of  the  town  and  the 
approaches  on  that  side.  Ashby,  in  disposing  his  troops 
to  meet  this  formidable  advance,  seemed  to  the  spec- 
tators to  be  instinct  with  unwonted  animation  and 
genius.  A  fierce  combat  ensued,  in  which  his  horse 
fell;  but  extricating  himself,  and  springing  to  his  feet, 
he  saw  his  men  wavering,  and  shouted,  "  Charge,  men ! 
for  God's  sake  charge !"  and  waved  his  sword,  when  a 
bullet  pierced  him  full  in  the  breast,  and  he  fell  dead. 
The  regiment  took  up  the  command  of  their  dying 
general  and  rushed  upon  the  enemy,  pressing  them 
back,  and  pouring  volleys  into  them  until  they  were 
out  of  musket  range. 

The  interest  attaching  to  this  fight  between  Jack- 
son's rear-guard  and  Fremont's  advance  does  not 
grow  mainly  out  of  the  engagement  itself,  which  was 
comparatively  unini])ortant,  but  out  of  the  fact  that 
it  was  the  occasion  of  the  fall  of  General  Turner 
Ashby,  who  was  truly  the  ideal  of  a  soldier  in  whom 
the  qualities  that  excite  admiration  were  united  to 
those  that  win  affection  and  devotion.  Insensible  to 
danger,  the  more  daring  an  enterprise  the  greater  was 
its  attraction   for   him.     With   such   qualities   were 


DEATH   OF   GENERAL   ASIIBY.  271 

united  the  utmost  generosity  and  unselfishness;  a 
delicacy  of  sentiment  and  feeling  like  a  woman's  ;  and 
a  respect  for  the  rights  of  others  Avhich  permitted 
within  the  limits  of  his  authority  no  outrage  on 
friend  or  foe.     Says  General  Jackson  in  his  report : 

"  An  official  report  is  not  an  appropriate  place  for 
more  than  a  passing  notice  of  the  distinguished  dead  ; 
but  the  close  relation  which  General  Ashby  bore  to 
my  command  for  most  of  the  previous  twelve  months 
will  justify  me  in  saying  that,  as  a  partisan  officer,  I 
never  knew  his  superior.  His  daring  was  proverbial, 
his  powers  of  endurance  almost  incredible,  his  tone  of 
character  heroic,  and  his  sagacity  almost  intuitive  in 
divining  the  purposes  and  movements  of  the  enemy." 

After  the  remains  of  the  young  hero  had  been  pre- 
pared for  burial  in  Port  Republic,  General  Jackson 
came  to  the  room  and  requested  to  see  them.     He 
was  admitted  alone,  and  after  remaining  for  a  time 
in  silent  communion  with  the  dead,  came  forth  Avith 
a  countenance  of  unusual  solemnity  and  elevation. 
Ashby's  widowed  mother  lived  in  Fauquier,  but  her 
home  being  now  within  the  Federal  hues,  she  was  de- 
nied the  comfort  of  receiving  the  remains  of  this,  her 
second  gallant  son  who  fell  in  defence  of  his  country. 
He  was  taken  to  Charlottesville  for  temporary  inter- 
ment.    Slowly  and  sadly  the  funeral  cortege  passed 
on  its  way  through  that  exquisitely  beautiful  valley. 
The  storm  of  battle  even  seemed  to  have  ceased  out 
of  respect  for  the  dead.     An  escort  of  the  brave  com- 
rades of  Ashby,  with  bowed  heads  and  solemn  mien, 
their  arms  reversed,  accompanied  the  hearse.     Behind 


272  >'11'1'    *>t'   <iENERAL    THOMAS  J.  JACKSOX. 

it  came  the  chieftain's  horse  and  trappings,  led  by  his 
negro  servant,  whose  grief  was  most  demonstrative. 
His  personal  staff  next  followed.  The  whole,  as  it 
wound  alono^  the  countrv  road  in  the  broad  sunlight 
of  a  perfect  summer  day,  seemed  to  recall  some  rite  of 
ancient  chivalry ;  and  surely  no  braver,  truer  knight 
was  ever  borne  to  a  glorious  tomb.  After  the  war 
his  remains  were  removed  and  placed  beside  those  of 
his  brother.  Captain  Richard  Ashby,  in  the  "  Stone- 
wall Cemetery  "  at  Winchester. 

"  Brief,  brave,  and  glorious  was  his  young  career ; 

His  mourners  were  two  liosts,  his  friends  and  foes. 
And  fitly  may  the  stranger,  lingering  here, 

Pray  for  his  gallant  spirit's  bright  repose, 

For  he  was  Freedom's  champion  ;  one  of  those, 
The  few  in  number,  who  had  not  o'erstept 

The  charter  to  chastise  which  she  bestows 
On  such  as  wield  her  weapons.     He  had  kept 
The  whiteness  qf  his  soul,  and  thus  men  o'er  him  wept." 

And  now  for  two  days — the  Oth  and  Ttli  of  June — 
Jackson's  army  enjoyed  a  sorely  needed  rest.  In  the 
twenty -four  days  that  had  intervened  between  the 
time  that  he  had  withdrawn  from  Fremont's  front 
at  Franklin  and  his  arrival  at  Port  TvO])ublic,  it  had 
marched  three  hundred  miles,  besides  (h'iving  I>anks 
over  the  Potomac.  Lying  on  the  north  side  of  the 
Shenandoah,  along  INlill  Ci'eek,  a  few  miles  in  front  of 
Port  Ke[)ublic,  these  exhausted  and  march-worn  men 
refreshed  themselves,  and  at  the  end  of  two  days  were 
as  ready  as  ever  for  battle. 

Meantime  Jackson,  having  prevented  the  junction 
of  his  two  opponents  by  burning  the  l)ridges  across 
the  South  Fork  of  the  Shenandoah,  below  Port  Re- 


1{ATTI,E    OF    PORT   REPUBLIC.  £73 

public,  was  i^reparing  to  lake  advantage  of  their  en- 
forced separation.     He  adapted   his  strategy  to  the 
character  of  the  country  and  the  rivers.     Fremont 
was  equal  to  Jackson  in  force,  Shields  was  inferior. 
Together  they  largely  outnumbered  him.      His  effec- 
tive force  at  this  time  could  not  have  exceeded  thir- 
teen thousand  men,  and  he  determined  to  retreat  no 
farther,  but  to  fight  them  in  detail  while  separated. 
To   retire   towards   Brown's   Gap   was   to   allow  his 
enemies  to  unite.     To  concentrate  on  the  east  side  at 
once   against   Shields  as  the  weaker,  and  burn   the 
bridge  to  keep  Fremont  back,  was  to  run  the  risk  of 
having  the  battle-field  in  the  plain  on  the  eastern  side 
commanded  by  Fremont's  guns,  which  would  then 
crown  the  heights  on  the  left  bank.     While  it  might 
not  thus  entirely  paralyze  Fremont  in  the  struggle 
with  Shields,  it  would  certainly  prevent  Jackson  from 
returning  in  case  of  success  to  attack  Fremont.     The 
Confederate    commander   therefore    took    the    other 
plan  remaining  to  him,  and,  having  sent  off  his  prison- 
ers to  the  railroad  at  Waynesboro'  and  removed  his 
trains  to  Port  Republic,  placed  his  army  in  position 
on  the  north  side  of  the  river ;  General  Ewell's  divi- 
sion at  Cross  Keys,  half-way  on  the  road  to  Harrison- 
burg, and  General  Winder's  division  on  the  heights 
above  the  bridge  along  the  river.     Here  artillery  was 
at  hand  to  command  the  town  and  bridge  and  plain 
by  which  Shields  must  approacli.     Fremont  was  well 
closed  up,  and  his  vigorous  pursuit  of  the  last  few 
days  indicated  a  prompt  attack  without  waiting  for 
the  co-operation  of  Shields.     The  latter  was  not  so 
well  up  as  Fremont,  but  his  advance  came  within  six 
miles  of  Port  Republic  on  Saturday  evening,  June 


IS 


2Y4  LIFE  OF   GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

7th.  Jackson  thus  took  a  position  where  he  might 
receive  the  attack  of  F»*emont,  while  it  was  in  the 
power  of  a  small  part  of  his  force  to  hold  Shields  in 
check.  His  position,  if  the  latter  attempted  to  attack 
in  aid  of  Fremont,  was  impregnable.  The  Federal 
General  Tyler  thought  it  "  one  to  defy  an  army  of 
fifty  thousand  men."  Defeat  by  Fremont  would 
have  rendered  Jackson's  condition  precarious,  but  this 
contingency  he  did  not  anticipate.  His  sagacity  was 
made  manifest,  and  his  strategy  approved,  by  the 
movements  of  his  adversaries.  Fremont  had  failed  to 
seize  the  Confederate  line  of  retreat  at  Strasburg 
when  it  w^as  possible,  and  had  permitted  Jackson, 
encumbered  with  prisoners,  to  pass  by  hiu)  unmo- 
lested. His  pursuit  of  the  retreating  Confederates 
bad  emboldened  him,  and  now,  having  followed  them 
over  fifty  miles  farther,  he  was  ready  to  attack  in 
a  chosen  position  the  army  which  he  had  hesitated 
to  fight  when  hampered  by  its  trains  and  captures. 
Then  McDowell  w^as  within  reach  to  aid  ;  now  an  im- 
passable river  prevented  all  co-operation.  Shields,  on 
the  other  hand,  condemned  by  the  burning  of  the 
bridges  to  make  his  toilsome  way  along  the  muddy 
roads  of  the  Luray  Valley,  had  halted  at  Columbia, 
and  sent  forward  his  advance  brigades  to  harass  Jack- 
son's flank,  with  orders  to  go  as  far  as  Waynesboro, 
and  break  the  railroad.  The  mass  of  Shields's  forces 
were  known  to  be  miles  away,  and  Jackson's  cavalry 
scouts  were  expected  to  give  timely  warning  of  his 
approach.  Jackson  had  placed  his  headquarters  on 
the  southwestern  outskirts  of  the  village. 

Sunday  morning,  June  Sth,  was  bi-ight  with  all  the 
glory  of  summer  in  the  Valley  of  the  Shenandoah. 


BATTLE  OF  PORT  REPUBLIC.  275 

Quiet  reigned  throughout  the  Confederate  camp,  and 
men  and  animals  alike  seemed  to  enjoy  the  rest, 
which  for  a  day  or  two  had  followed  the  excessive 
toils  and  marches  of  the  campaign.  Jackson  was  just 
mounting  his  horse  to  ride  to  the  front,  when  a  bold 
and  unexpected  dash  by  the  enemy  opened  the  fight 
at  Port  Republic  itself,  and  for  a  few  moments  threat- 
ened such  disaster  that  Shields  sent  a  despatch  to  Fre- 
mont saying,  "  I  think  Jackson  is  caught  this  time." 

Jackson,  followed  by  his  staff,  rode  rapidly  through 
the  town  towards  the  bridge  and  his  troops  stationed 
on  the  hills  around  it.  The  enemy  boldly  crossed  the 
bridge,  and  rode  so  quickly  into  the  middle  of  the 
town  as  to  intercept  the  two  hindmost  members  of 
Jackson's  staff,  and  make  them  prisoners ;  but  both 
were  soon  released,  one  by  being  left  in  town  when 
the  Federals  subsequently  retreated,  and  the  other 
by  capturing  the  soldier  in  whose  care  he  was  placed 
and  bringing  him  back  as  a  prisoner.  The  enemy 
promptly  placed  one  piece  of  artillery  at  the  bridge, 
so  as  to  command  the  approaches  to  it,  and  with 
another  piece  prepared  to  attack  Jackson's  train 
lying  just  outside  of  the  town.  Their  unexpected  ap- 
proach threw  teamsters  and  camp-followers  into  great 
confusion.  But  soon  a  gun  from  a  Confederate  bat- 
tery was  brought  and  placed  so  as  to  rake  the  main 
street  of  the  village,  and  a  charge  was  poured  into  the 
rear  column  of  Federal  troopers,  and  their  movement 
was  checked.  Meantime  Jackson  had  reached  his  troops 
nearest  the  bridge,  and  ordered  three  batteries  in- 
stantly to  the  brow  of  the  terrace  overlooking  the 
river.  Taliaferro's  brigade,  of  Winder's  division,  was 
the  nearest  infantry.     General   Taliaferro  had  them 


276  LIFE   OF  GENERAL  THOMAS   J.  JACKSOX. 

drawn  up  for  Inspection.  Ordering  them  forward, 
Jackson  placed  himself  at  the  head  of  the  leading 
regiment,  and  the  first  of  Poague's  guns  that  was  ready, 
and  rushed  at  a  double-quick  towards  the  bridge.  At 
the  word  from  Jackson,  Poague  fired  a  charge  which 
disconcerted  the  enem}^  then  followed  a  volley  from 
the  infantry,  and  an  immediate  charge  with  the  bay- 
onet. In  a  moment  the  Federal  gunners  were  down, 
their  gun  was  captured,  and  the  bridge  was  again  in 
Jackson's  possession.  The  Confederates  lost  two  men 
wounded,  and  the  Federals  their  chance  of  destroying 
the  bridge.  Carroll  (the  Federal  colonel),  seeing  him- 
self attacked  from  both  ends  of  the  village,  rode  out 
of  it  as  rapidly  as  he  entered  it,  and  in  his  flight  aban- 
doned another  piece  of  artillery  to  the  Confederates. 
He  soon  met  his  infantry  coming  to  his  support ; 
but  the  three  Confederate  batteries  were  now  in  posi- 
tion on  the  bluff  on  the  north  side,  and  they  so  rained 
fire  on  all  the  approaches  to  the  town  and  bridge 
from  the  south  and  east  side  that  any  further  attempt 
was  futile,  and  Carroll's  whole  force  was  obliged  to  re- 
treat. To  avoid  the  galling  fire  they  moved  some 
distance  towards  the  mountain  before  turning  down 
the  river.  The  Confederate  batteries  followed  on  the 
bluff,  and  continued  to  shell  them  until  they  were  en- 
tirely out  of  range,  some  two  and  a  half  miles  below. 
The  affair  had  only  occupied  about  one  hour,  and  quiet 
once  more  succeeded  to  the  noise  of  battle. 

To  guard  against  any  repetition  of  this  attack, 
Jackson  now  stationed  Taliaferro's  brigade  in  the  vil- 
lage to  hold  the  fords  of  South  River,  and  placed  the 
Stonewall  Brigade  on  the  north  side  of  the  main 
river,  to  observe  the  enemy  and  impede  by  artillery 


BATTLE  OF  CROSS  KEYS.  277 

any  renewed  advance.     The  remainder  of  Winder's 
division  was  held  in  reserve  to  assist  Ewell,  if  need  be. 
While  these  arrangements  were  being  made,  the  battle 
•opened  along  Ewell's  front. 

On  Saturday  evening,  Fremont  had  made  a  reeon- 
noissance,  and  having  found  the  Confederates  in  force 
near  Cross  Keys,  gave  orders  for  a  general  advance 
the  next  morning.  General  Ewell  selected  for  his 
position  one  of  the  ridges  with  which  the  country  is 
filled,  the  Federals  occupying  a  lower  parallel  ridge. 
Fremont  disposed  his  forces  for  attack.  Blenker's 
division,  his  left  wing,  was  placed  opposite  Trimble. 
For  a  time  a  spirited  fire  was  maintained  between  the 
opposing  batteries,  when  the  infantr^^  was  brought 
into  play.  General  Trimble's  brigade  met  the  first 
assault,  which  it  gallantly  repulsed,  and  drove  down 
the  hill  and  back  into  the  woods  from  which  the}^ 
advanced.  The  Confederates  awaited  another  attack, 
but  the  repulse  had  been  too  bloody  to  invite  a  speedy 
renewal.  Trimble  waited  a  short  time,  and,  perceiving- 
no  indications  of  a  new  advance,  determined  to  move 
against  the  enemy.  Several  other  regiments  joined  him 
en  route^  and  after  a  short  and  sharp  struggle  the 
Federals  were  forced  to  yield ;  the  artilleiy  limbered 
up  and  retired;  and  in  a  few  minutes  their  whole  left 
Aving  w^as  retreating  towards  the  position  which  it  held 
before  the  opening  of  the  battle.  ^Meantime,  Milro}^ 
had  advanced  against  the  Confederate  centre.  A 
fierce  artillery  duel  was  here  the  principal  feature  of 
the  contest.  The  Confederate  batteries  were  in  e-ood 
position,  and,  in  spite  of  the  loss  of  men  and  horses 
in  some  of  them,  kept  up  so  spirited  a  fire  that  no 
serious  attempt  was  made  on  this  part  of  tlic  lino.     The 


278     LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

Federals  drove  in  the  Confederate  skirmishers  and  felt 
the  lines  behind  them,  but  there  was  no  real  attack. 
Thus,  at  the  centre  of  the  contending  armies,  the 
hours  passed  in  which  the  fate  of  the  day  was  being  de- 
cided on  Blenker's  front.  Schenck  was  last  to  take  his 
post  in  the  Federal  line.  He  arrived  on  the  field  at 
one  p.  M.,  and  moved  in  rear  and  to  the  right  of 
Milroy,  to  take  position  to  attack  the  Confederate 
left.  General  Ewell,  seeing  the  movement  of  troops 
towards  his  left,  strengthened  and  extended  his  line 
on  the  same  flank.  This  delayed  Schenck's  aggressive 
movements,  and  before  he  was  ready  to  attack  in  ear- 
nest the  battle  had  been  decided  by  the  defeat  of 
Blenker;  and  Fremont,  alarmed  by  the  disaster  on  his 
left  wing,  ordered  both  centre  and  right  to  withdraw. 
Ewell,  conscious  of  his  inferiority  of  force,  and  antici- 
pating an  attack  from  Schenck  on  his  left,  had  been 
content  with  the  advantages  already  gained  until  his 
enemy's  purposes  were  developed.  As  the  Federal 
right  and  centre  withdrew,  he  followed,  pushing  for- 
ward his  skirmishers  and  occupying  the  ground  in 
front  of  the  field.  Night  was  at  hand,  however,  and 
General  Ewell  decided  to  bivouac  in  the  position  he 
held  rather  than  risk  a  night  attack  on  the  enemy. 
Thus  ended  the  battle  of  Cross  Keys.  Ewell  had 
repulsed  Fremont  so  decisivel}^  on  one  wing  as  to 
paralyze  his  army  and  to  secure  all  the  advantages  of 
victory.  This  had  been  done,  too,  with  but  a  small 
part  of  the  force  at  command.  The  losses  were  great- 
ly disproportioned,  Ewell's  being  but  two  hundred  and 
eighty-seven,  Avhile  that  of  Fremont  was  six  hundred 
and  sixty-four. 

During    this    engagement    the    advance   force    of 


PREPARING  FOR  A  FRESH  ATTACK.       279 

General  Shields  continued  quiet  on  the  east  side  of 
the  river.      Jackson,  emboldened  by  his  slowness  to 
advance,  and  the  easy  repulse  of  Fremont,  conceived 
the  bold  design  of  attacking  his  two  opponents  in 
succession  the  next  day,  with  the  hope  of  overwhelm- 
ing them  separately.      For  this  purpose  he  directed 
that  during  the  night  a  temporary  bridge,  composed 
simply  of  planks  laid  upon  the  running-gear  of  wagons, 
should  be  constructed  over  the  South  Kiver  at  Port 
Kepublic,  and  ordered  Winder  to  move  his  brigade  at 
dawn  across  both  rivers  and  against  Shields.      Ewell 
was  directed  to  leave  Trimble's  brigade  and  part  of 
Patton's  to  hold  Fremont  in  check,  and  to  move  at 
an  early  hour  to  follow  Winder.     Taliaferro's  brigade 
was  left  in  charge  of  the  batteries  along  the  river, 
and  to  protect  Trimble's  retreat  if  necessary.     In  case 
of  an  easy  victory  over  Shields  in  the  morning,  Jack- 
son proposed  to  return  to  the  Harrisonburg  side  of 
the  river  and  attack  Fremont  in  the  afternoon.      In 
case,  however,  of  delay,  and  a   vigorous  advance  on 
Fremont's  part,  Trimble  was  to  retire  by  the  bridge 
into  Port  Republic,  and  burn  it   to  prevent  his  an- 
tagonist from  following.      Jackson  superintended  in 
person  the  construction  of  the  foot-bridge  over  South 
River,  and  before  five  o'clock  in  the  morning  Winder 
was  already  crossing.  After  two  brigades  had  crossed, 
Jackson  moved  at  once  against  the  Federals  at  Lewis- 
ton,  leaving  orders  for  the  remaining  troops  to  follow 
as  rapidly  as  possible.    The  foot-bridge  proving  defec- 
tive, a  good  deal  of  time  was  lost  in  getting  the  troops 
over.      Impatient  of  delay,  Jackson,  without  waiting 
for  the  remainder  of  his  forces,  ordered  an  attack,  as 
soon  as   Winder  had   come   up,   upon  Tyler,  whose 


280     LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

position  was  an  admirable  one,  on  the  second  terrace 
from  the  Shenandoah,  The  ground  held  by  his  left 
and  centre  was  elevated,  and  commanded  all  the  avail- 
able approaches  from  Port  Republic.  Here  he  had 
six  guns  planted.  A  dense  and  almost  impenetrable 
forest  protected  his  flank,  and  made  all  direct  ap- 
proach to  it  difficult,  wliile  the  batteries  there  placed 
covered  a  large  part  of  the  front  and  enfiladed 
Winder's  advance.  In  this  position  General  Tyler 
disposed  his  force.  He  seems,  though  on  the  alert, 
not  to  have  been  aware  of  Jackson's  rapid  approach 
until  the  latter  was  deploying  in  his  front,  but  he 
Avas  altogether  ready  to  meet  the  attack.  AVinder  de- 
ployed his  skirmishers,  and,  advancing  on  both  sides 
of  the  road,  drove  in  the  outposts.  He  soon  found 
that  the  Federal  batteries  commanded  the  road  and 
its  vicinity  completely.  Jackson  then  directed  him 
to  send  a  force  to  his  right  through  the  Avoods  to 
turn  the  Federal  left  flank.  Winder,  with  less  than 
twelve  hundred  men,  found  himself  unable  to  cope 
with  the  force  before  him,  and  sent  to  Jackson  for 
reinforcements,  wliich  the  latter  hurried  forward  as 
fast  as  possible.  A  most  determined  and  stubborn 
conflict  now  took  place.  Jackson,  finding  the  resist- 
ance of  the  enemy  so  much  more  obstinate  than  he 
had  expected,  and  that  his  first  attacks  had  failed, 
determined  to  concentrate  his  whole  force  and  give 
up  all  intention  of  recrossing  the  river.  He  there- 
fore sent  orders  to  Trimble  and  Taliaferro  to  leave 
Fremont's  front,  move  over  the  bridge,  burn  it,  and 
join  the  main  body  of  the  army  as  speedily  as  ])0S- 
sible.  Meanwhile  the  bloody  work  went  on,  the 
Federals  for  a  time  proving  the  victors ;  but  a  rein- 


THE    LOSSES   ON    BOTH   SIDES.  281 

forcement  to  the  Confederate  batteries  in  aid  of  the 
infantry  enabled  them  to  carry  their  position,  and 
capture  five  of  the  enemy's  guns.  The  Federals  had 
made  a  most  gallant  fight,  both  with  their  guns  and 
to  save  them,  but  they  could  not  resist  the  combined 
attack.  They  were  pushed  back  at  every  point,  and 
were  soon  in  full  retreat.  Not  a  moment  too  soon  had 
they  yielded  the  field,  for  the  remainder  of  Jackson's 
force  was  arriving,  and  in  a  short  time  they  must  have 
been  entirely  overwhelmed.  Colonel  Carroll,  who 
covered  the  Federal  rear,  says :  "  As  soon  as  we  com- 
menced the  retreat,  the  enemy  turned  and  opened 
upon  us  portions  of  Clark's  and  Huntington's  bat- 
teries that  they  had  taken  from  us,  which  threw  the 
rear  of  our  column  in  great  disorder,  causing  them  to 
take  to  the  woods  and  making  it,  for  the  earlier  part 
of  the  retreat,  apparently  a  rout.  .  .  .  Their  cavalry 
also  charged  upon  our  rear,  increasing  the  confusion." 
The  Confederate  infantry  pressed  the  enemy  for  sev- 
eral miles,  and  the  cavalry  followed  three  miles  more. 
About  four  hundred  and  fifty  prisoners,  a  few  wag- 
ons, one  piece  of  abandoned  artillery,  and  eight  hun- 
dred muskets  w^ere  the  trophies  of  the  pursuit.  Some 
two  hundred  and  seventy-five  of  the  Federal  wounded 
were  paroled  in  the  hospitals  near  the  battle-field. 
About  two  hundred  others  were  carried  ofl". 

In  the  series  of  engagements  on  the  0th,  8th,  and 
9th  of  June  the  losses  Avere : 

CoNFRI>KRATB.  Fk1)KR\L. 

On  June  fi 70  Over  155 

8 287  704  (including  CarrolFs). 

"        9 816  Say  916 

1173  1775 


282  LIFE   OF  GENERAL   THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

During  the  forenoon  Fremont  had  advanced  against 
Trimble  on  the  north  side  of  the  river,  and  was  driv- 
ing him  slowly  back,  when  the  latter  was  ordered  to 
rejoin  Jackson  at  Lewiston.  He,  with  Taliaferro, 
then  withdrew  as  rapidly  as  possible,  crossed  the 
bridge  without  loss,  and  succeeded  in  burning  it  in 
the  face  of  the  advancing  Federals.  Fremont's  array 
arrived  on  the  heights  overlooking  Lewiston  only  in 
time  to  witness  the  retreat  of  Tyler,  and  were  pre- 
vented b}'  the  river  from  giving  him  any  assistance. 

Next  day  the  Confederates  rested  in  camp.  Ex- 
hausted nature  demanded  repose,  and  Jackson  now 
gave  it  to  his  tired  and  battle-worn  troops.  Both 
Shields  and  Fremont  continued  to  retreat  down  the 
valley.  "  Significant  demonstrations  of  the  enemy," 
as  Fremont  expressed  it,  caused  him  to  withdraw  far- 
ther, and  he  joined  Banks  and  Sigel  at  Middletovvn, 
while  Jackson  moved  out  from  his  confined  bivouac, 
and  camped  in  the  noble  park-like  forest  between 
"Weyer's  Cave  and  Mount  Meridian.  Here  for  five 
days  of  that  splendid  June  he  rested  and  refreshed  his 
army.  On  the  18th  he  issued  this  order :  "  The  forti- 
tude of  the  troops  under  fatigue  and  their  valor  in 
action  have  again,  under  the  blessing  of  Divine  Provi- 
dence, placed  it  in  the  power  of  the  commanding  gen- 
eral to  congratulate  them  ujion  the  victories  of  June 
8th  and  9th.  Beset  on  both  flanks  by  two  boastful 
armies,  you  have  esca])od  their  toils,  inflicting  success- 
ively crushing  blows  upon  each  of  your  pursuers.  Let 
a  few  more  such  efforts  be  made,  and  you  may  confi- 
'dently  hope  that  our  beautiful  valley  will  be  cleansed 
from  the  pollution  of  the  invader's  presence.  The 
major-general  commanding  invites  you  to  observe  to- 


THE  LORD'S   SUPPER   IX   CAMP.  283 

morro^v,  June  Uth,  from  three  o'clock  p.  m.,  as  a  sea- 
son of  thanksgiving,  by  a  suspension  of  all  military 
exercises,  and  by  holding  divine  service  in  the  several 
regiments."  The  next  day,  being  the  Sabbath,  the 
Lords  Supper  was  administered  in  a  woodland  o-rove 
nature's  own  great  temple,  to  a  large  company  of 
Christian  soldiers  from  all  the  army,  with  whom  their 
general  took  his  place,  and  received  the  sacred  em- 
blems from  the  hands  of  a  regimental  chaplain. 

The  following  extracts  are  from  letters  to  his  wife  : 

"Near  Port  Republic,  .June  lOtli. 
"  On  Sunday,  the  8th,  an  attack  was  made  upon  us 
by  a  part  of  Shields's  command  about  seven  o'clock 
A.  M.,  which  a  kind  Providence  enabled  us  to  repulse 
During  the  same  morning  Fremont  attacked  us  from 
the  opposite  side,  and  after  several  hours'  fio-hting  he 
also  was  repulsed.    Yesterday  morning  I  attacked  that 
part  of  Shields's  force  which  was  near  Port  Reiiublic 
and,  after  a  hotly  contested  field  from  near  six  to  ten 
and  a  half  a.  m.,  completely  routed  the  enemy   who 
k)st  eight  pieces  of  artillery  during  the  two  days 
God  has  been  our  shield,  and  to  His  name  be  all  the 
glory.     I  sent  you  a  telegram  yesterday.     How  I  do 
wish  for  peace,  but  only  upon  the  condition  of  our 
national  independence  !'' 

"Near  Weyeu's  Cave,  June  14th. 

"When  I  look  at  the  locality  of  the  cave,  I  take  ad- 
ditional interest  in  it  from  the  fact  that  my  esvosita 
was  there  once.  ...  Our  God  has  again  thrown  his 
shield  over  me  in  the  various  apparent  dangers  to 
which  I  have  been  exposed.     This  evening  we  have 


284     LIFE  OF  GEXERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

religious  services  in  the  army  for  the  purpose  of  ren- 
dering thanks  to  the  Most  High  for  the  victories  with 
which  He  has  crowned  our  arms,  and  to  otfer  earnest 
prayer  that  He  will  continue  to  give  us  success,  until, 
through  His  divine  blessing,  our  independence  shall  be 
established.    Wouldn't  you  like  to  get  home  again  ?" 

The  battles  of  Cross  Keys  and  Port  Kepublic  closed 
the  Valley  Campaign  of  1862.  Brilliant  as  were  the 
achievements  of  General  Jackson  during  the  succeed- 
ing months  of  his  too  brief  career,  it  was  his  Valley 
Campaign  which  lifted  him  into  great  fame ;  nor  do 
any  of  his  subsequent  achievements  show  more  strik- 
ingly the  characteristics  of  his  genius.  Within  forty 
days  he  had  marched  four  hundred  miles ;  fought  four 
pitched  battles,  defeating  four  separate  armies,  with 
numerous  combats  and  skirmishes;  sent  to  the  rear 
three  thousand  five  hundred  prisoners;  killed  and 
wounded  a  still  larger  number  of  the  enemy,  and  de- 
feated or  neutralized  forces  three  times  as  numerous 
as  his  own  upon  his  proper  theatre  of  war,  besides 
keeping  the  corps  of  McDowell  inactive  at  Fredericks- 
burg. 

From  the  rapidity  of  his  forced  marches,  Jackson's 
soldiers  were  sometimes  called  his  "foot -cavalry." 
They  sometimes  marched  twenty-five,  thirty,  and  even 
thirty-five  miles  a  day !  A  Northern  writer  said  that 
'^  Jackson  moved  infantry  with  the  celerity  of  cavalry. 
His  men  said  he  always  marched  at  'early  dawn,'  ex- 
cept when  he  started  the  night  lefore  ;  but  despite  all 
these  'hardships,  fatigues,  nnd  dangers;  says  one  of 
the  'foot-cavalry,'  'a  more  cheerful,  genial,  jolly  set 
could  not  be  found  than  were  these  men  in  gray.' " 


"STONEWALL   JACKSON'S   WAY."  £85 

They  indulged  in  jokes  ad  Uhituin  at  the  expense  of 
each  other,  their  indefatigable  leader,  and  the  Yankees 
They  declared  that  General  Jackson  was  far  greater 
than  Moses.     "Moses,"  they  said,  "  took  forty  years 
to  lead  the  Israelites  through   the  wilderness,  with 
manna   to    feed   them   on;    'old  Jack'  would    have 
double-quicked  through   it  on  half   rations  in  three 
days."     General  Banks  was  dubbed  by  them  "Jack- 
son's commissary-general,"  and  whenever  the  head  of 
their  column  turned   down  the  valley,  the  jest  ran 
along  the  lines,  "Lee  is  out  of  rations  again,  and  Jack- 
son IS  detailed  to  call  on  the  'commissary-general '" 

It  was  a  stirring  life  the  soldiers  led  in  those  days  of 
the  war!     Warm  friendships  sprang  up  among  com- 
rades who  stood  in  the  ranks  together  and  shared  the 
same  privations  and  dangers.     Besides  these  personal 
attachments  among  officers  and  soldiers,  that  which 
held  the  whole  army  together  was  its  devotion  to  its 
commander,  who  shared  the  privations  of  the  common 
soldier,  the  fatigues  of  the  march,  and  the  dangers  of 
battle.    All  had  such  confidence  in  his  genius  fo^r  com- 
mand that  they  felt  sure  of  victory  where  he  led  the 
way.    This  confidence  is  expressed  in  the  rough  verses 
of  one  of  his  soldiers,  which  must  have  had  Tstirrino- 
effect  when  read  or  sung  after  a  long  day's  march,  a*^ 
the  men  sat  round  their  camp  fires.     Then,  like  a 
bugle,  rang  out  the  lines  of 

"Stonewall  Jackson's  Way. 

"Come,  stack  arms,  men;  pile  on  the  rails; 
Stir  np  the  camp-fires  brioht; 
No  matter  if  the  canteen  fails, 
We'll  make  a  roaring  uijrht. 


286  i^IFE   OF   GENERAL   THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

Here  Sbeuandoah  brawls  along, 
There  lofty  Blue  Ridge  echoes  strong, 
To  swell  the  Brigade's  roaring  song 
Of  Stonewall  Jackson's  way. 

"  We  see  him  now — the  old  slouched  hat, 
■    Cocked  o'er  his  eye  askew ; 
The  shrewd  dry  smile,  the  speech  so  pat, 

So  calm,  so  blunt,  so  true. 
The  '  Blue-light  Elder  *  knows  them  well : 
Says  he,  'That's  Banks— he's  fond  of  shell; 
Lord  save  his  soul !  we'll  give  him—'  well, 
That's  Stonewall  Jackson's  way. 

"Silence!  ground  arms!  kneel  all!  caps  off! 
Old  Blue-light's  going  to  pray; 
Strangle  the  fool  that  dares  to  scoff! 

Attention  !  it's  his  way  ! 
Appealing  from  his  native  sod 
In  forma  pmiperis  to  God, 
'Lay  bare  Thine  arm— stretch  forth  Tliy  rod, 
Amen  !'     That's  Stonewall's  w;iy. 

"He's  in  the  saddle  now!    Fall  in! 
Steady,  tiie  whole  Brigade  ! 
Hill's  at  the  Ford,  cut  oil'!- we'll  win 

His  way  out,  ball  and  blade. 
What  matter  if  our  shoes  are  worn  ? 
What  matter  if  our  fe(!t  arc  torn  ? 
Quick  step  !  we're  with   him  before  morn  ! 
That's  Stonewall  Jackson's  way. 

"The  sun's  bright  lances  rout  the  mists 
Of  morning— and,  by  George ! 
There's  Longstreet  struggling  in  the  lists. 

Hemmed  in  an  ugly  gorge. 
Pope  and  his  columns  whipped  before — 
'Bayonets  and  grape!'  hear  Stonewall  roar; 
'Charge,  Stuart!  pay  off  Ashby's  score!' 
That's  Stonewall  Jackson's  way. 


GENERAL   EWELL.  287 

"Ah!  maiden,  wait  and  watcli  and  yearn 
For  news  of  Stonewall's  band ; 
Ah !  widow,  read  with  eyes  that  burn. 

That  ring  upon  thy  hand. 
Ah  !  wife,  sew  on,  pray  on,  hope  on ; 
Thy  life  shall  not  be  all  forlorn. 
The  foe  had  better  ne'er  been  born 

Than  get  in  Stonewall's  way  !" 

The  gallant  General  Ewell  proved  a  faithful  coad- 
jutor to  General  Jackson  in  all  their  arduous  opera- 
tions toD^ether.    When  asked  once  what  he  thought  of 
the  latter's  generalship  in  this  campaign,  he  replied,  in 
his  brusque,  impetuous  manner :  "  Well,  sir,  when  he 
commenced  it  I  thought  him  crazy ;  before  he  ended 
it  I  thought  him  inspire4."    Ewell  was  not  a  religious 
man  at  the  beginning  of  the  war,  but  the  influence 
of  Jackson's  example  was  blest  to  his  conversion,  as 
the  following  well-authenticated  fact  will  prove  :  "At 
a  council  of  war  one  night,  Jackson  had  listened  very 
attentively  to  the  views  of  his  subordinates,  and  asked 
until  the  next  morning  to  present  his  ow^n.     As  they 
came  away.  A,  P.  Hill  laughingly  said  to  Ewell,  'Well, 
I  suppose  Jackson  wants  time  to  pray  over  it.'     Hav- 
ing occasion   to  return   soon  afterwards  to  get   his 
sword  which  he  had  forgotten,  Ewell  found  Jackson 
on  his  knees,  and  heard  his  ejaculatory  prayers  for 
God's   guidance  in  the  perplexing  movements   then 
before  them,  by  which  he  was  so  deeply  impressed, 
and   by   Jackson's   general    religious  character,  that 
he  said:   'If  that  is  religion,  I  must  have  it;'  and  in 
making  a  profession  of  faith  not  long  after,  he  at- 
tributed it  to  the  influence  of  General  Jackson's  ex- 
ample." 


288  LIFE  OF   GENERAL   THOMAS   J.  JACKSON. 

Still  more  striking  is  the  testimony  to  Jackson's  de- 
vout habits  by  his  colored  servant  Jim,  who  said  that 
he  could  always  tell  when  there  was  going  to  be  a  bat- 
tle. Said  he :  ''  The  general  is  a  great  man  for  pray- 
ing:, night  and  morning  —  all  times.  But  when  I  see 
him  get  up  several  times  in  the  night  besides,  to  go  off 
and  pray,  then  I  know  there  is  going  to  he  something  to 
j>ay ;  and  I  go  straight  and  pack  his  haversack,  be- 
cause I  know  he  will  call  for  it  in  the  morning." 


CHAPTER  XV. 

THE    RICHMOND   CAMPAIGN— 1862. 

While  we  leave  the  brave  little  army  of  General 
Jackson  luxuriating  in  a  rest  among  the  grand  old 
woods  and  green  valleys  of  the  Shenandoah,  a  brief 
glance  will  be  given  at  the  operations  of  the  two  con- 
tending armies  around  Richmond.  For  months  the 
government  at  Washington  had  been  concentrating 
its  energies  upon  the  capture  of  the  Confederate  capi- 
tal. General  McClellan,  with  a  large  array  splendidly 
equipped,  had  intrenched  and  fortified  himself  upon 
the  approaches  to  the  city,  and,  aided  by  a  fleet  of 
gun-boats  in  the  James  River,  was  marching  up  from 
the  Peninsula,  while  McDowell,  with  his  corps,  was 
advancing  from  Fredericksburg  to  join  him. 

To  oppose  this  great  movement.  General  Johnston 
had,  early  in  April,  transferred  his  army  from  Ma- 
nassas to  the  Peninsula,  but  in  consequence  of  greatly 
inferior  numbers  Avas  compelled  to  fall  back  before 
the  advance  of  the  Northern  array,  not,  however,  with- 
out resisting  and  inflicting  heavy  losses.  On  the  5th 
of  May  a  battle  was  fought  at  Williamsburg;  but 
Johnston  continued  to  retreat  until  he  finally  settled 
down  with  his  array  between  Richmond  and  the 
Chickahorainy.  As  the  Federals  began  to  cross  that 
stream^  on  the  31st  of  May,  he  attacked  them,  and  a 
fierce  contest  ensued,  lasting  from  two  o'clock  until 
19 


290     LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

nightfall,  and,  as  he  reports,  "  drove  them  back  to  the 
'  Seven  Pines,'  more  than  two  miles  through  their 
own  camps,  and  from  a  series  of  intrenchraents,  and 
repelled  every  attempt  to  recapture  them  with  great 
slaughter."  In  this  battle  he  was  wounded  so  se- 
riously  that  he  was  unable  to  resume  command,  and 
his  place  was  filled  by  General  Robert  E.  Lee,  who 
thus  became  the  commander-in-chief  of  all  the  South- 
ern armies.  President  Davis  was  also  upon  the  ground, 
giving  his  counsel  and  aid.  The  gallant  and  dashing- 
General  J.  E.  B.  Stuart,  called  from  his  initials  "  Jeb" 
Stuart,  had,  in  obedience  to  General  Lee's  orders, 
made  a  raid  with  his  cavalry  force  of  twelve  hundred 
men,  and  some  light  artillery,  around  the  whole  cir- 
cuit of  the  Federal  lines — a  perilous  undertaking,  but 
from  which  he  returned  in  safety,  having  thus  ascer- 
tained the  position  and  strength  of  the  enemy.  This 
was  one  of  the  most  daring  and  brilliant  exploits  of 
tiie  war,  and  won,  both  from  friends  and  foes,  great 
distinction  for  Stuart  and  his  gallant  troopers. 

And  now  comes  in  the  part  of  Jackson,  who.  after 
his  victory  at  Winchester  in  May,  had  requested  to 
be  reinforced,  saying  :  "  I  should  have  forty  thousand 
men,  and  with  them  I  would  invade  tlie  North ;"  to 
which  General  Lee's  reply  was  :  "  But  he  must  help 
me  to  drive  these  people  away  from  Richmond  first." 
Thus,  with  his  keen  military  sagacity,  he  had  already 
formed  the  design  to  concentrnte  the  army  of  Jack- 
son with  his  own,  and  take  the  aggressive  against 
McClellan.  However,  in  order  to  deceive  the  enemy, 
it  was  neccssar}'  to  mask  Jackson's  removal  from  the 
Valley  ;  and  a  reinforcement  of  seven  thousand  men 
was   sent   as   far   as   Staunton  as    a  blind,  and  then 


THE   RICHMOND   CAMPAIGN.  291 

marched  back  with  Jackson's  army.  The  enemy  in  the 
Valley  was  deceived  with  equal  adroitness,  and  Jack- 
son's sudden  march  over  the  mountains  was  a  com- 
plete surprise  to  friends  as  well  as  foes — not  a  man  in 
his  own  army  knowing  where  it  was  going  as  it  took 
up  its  march  from  Mount  Meridian  on  the  17th  of 
June.  After  accompanying  his  troops  to  within  fifty 
miles  of  Richmond,  he  placed  them  in  command  of 
General  Ewell,  and  rode  express,  with  a  single  courier, 
to  the  city  to  confer  with  General  Lee.  On  leaving- 
his  camp  on  this  occasion,  he  met  with  a  pleasing 
evidence  of  the  faithfulness  of  one  of  his  pickets, 
who,  not  knowing  him,  refused  to  let  him  pass !  The 
general  pleaded  that  he  was  an  officer  on  military 
business,  but  without  avail;  then  that  he  was  an  ofiicer 
bearing  important  intelligence  to  General  Lee,  but 
the  man  still  protested,  saying  he  had  special  orders 
from  Jackson  not  to  pass  either  soldiers  or  citizens. 
He  agreed,  however,  to  call  the  captain  of  the  guard, 
who,  on  coming  forward,  recognized  his  general,  and 
at  once  let  him  pass.  He  did  not  go,  however,  with- 
out warmly  commending  the  fidelity  of  the  sentinel- 
soldier  for  his  strict  obedience  to  orders. 

After  a  full  conference  with  General  Lee,  Jackson 
the  next  day  returned  to  his  command,  and  conveyed 
it  safely  to  Ashland  on  the  evening  of  June  25th, 
from  which  he  was  directed  to  march  and  turn  the 
enemy's  works  at  Mechanicsville,  where  he  had  a 
powerful  reserve  intrenched.  On  reaching  Ashland, 
Jackson  encountered  unexpected  difficulties  in  the 
way  of  burned  bridges  and  the  handling  of  a  part  of 
his  army  by  inexperienced  subordinates,  which  caused 
much  delay.     Under  the  stress  of  his  great  anxiety  and 


292  LIFE   OF   GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

heavy  responsibilities,  he  gave  not  one  moment  to 
rest  or  sleep  during  the  night,  but  devoted  the  whole 
of  it  to  the  most  energetic  preparations  and  to  2>i'ayer. 
Soon  after  sunrise  the  next  morning,  his  army  was 
put  in  motion,  and  in  its  march  met  at  each  cross- 
road the  vigilant  cavalry  of  Stuart,  that  gradually 
covered  his  left ;  and  by  the  afternoon  Jackson  was 
abreast  of  the  enemy's  right  flank  at  Mechanicsville. 
Here  A.  P.  Hill's  division*  had  been  in  position  be- 
fore the  enemy's  works  for  some  hours,  and  was  only 
waiting  for  Jackson's  support  to  make  an  attack.  At 
the  sound  of  the  latter's  guns,  which  told  that  he  w^as 
approaching,  Hill  swept  forward,  and  drove  the 
enemy  out  of  the  little  village,  and  down  the  Chicka- 
hominy  into  their  strong  intrenchments  on  its  eastern 
bank.  In  their  impetuosity  to  drive  them  out  of  this 
position,  the  Confederates  would  not  wait  until  Jack- 
son's advance  could  turn  their  flank,  but  attacked 
them  that  evening  on  their  left.  A  furious  cannon- 
ade opened  on  both  sides,  and  after  a  severe  fight  the 
Confederates  failed  to  dislodge  the  enemy  from  their 
works,  and  slept  that  night  upon  their  arms.  This 
was  the  beginning  of  the  seven  days'  battles  around 
Richmond. 

The  bearing  of  the  soldiers  in  this  crisis  was  not 
more  worthy  of  admiration  than  the  calmness  of  the 
people.     Dr.  Dabney  says  : 


*It  is  taken  for  p;rantcd  tliut,  most  readers  know  tliat  tliere  were 
two  generals  by  tlie  name  ofllill  in  tlie  Confederate  army — A.  P. 
Hill,  of  Virginia,  and  D.  H.  Hill,  of  North  Carolina.  Both  were 
very  distinf^uished  officers.  The  latter  was  a  brother-in-law  of 
Stonewall  Jackson. 


THE  SEVEN   DAYS'   BATTLES.  293 

''  The  demeanor  of  the  citizens  of  Richmond  showed 
their  courage,  and  their  faith  in  their  leaders  and 
their  cause.  For  many  weeks  the  Christian  people 
had  given  themselves  to  prayer  ;  and  they  drew  from 
Heaven  a  sublime  composure.  The  spectator,  passing 
through  the  streets,  saw  the  people  calmly  engaged 
in  their  usual  avocations,  or  else  wending  their  way 
to  the  churches,  while  the  thunder  of  cannon  shook 
the  city.  The  young  people  promenaded  the  heights 
north  of  the  town,  and  watched  the  distant  shells 
bursting  against  the  sky.  As  the  calm  summer  even- 
ing descended,  the  family  groups  were  seen  sitting 
upon  their  door-steps,  where  mothers  told  their  chil- 
dren at  their  knees  how  Lee  and  his  heroes  were 
driving  away  the  invaders." 

At  dawn  on  the  morning  of  the  27th,  the  contest 
between  the  Federal  artillery  and  that  of  A.  P.  Hill 
was  resumed  ;  but  perceiving  the  divisions  of  Jack- 
son approaching  their  rear,  the  enemy  retreated  down 
the  Chickahominy  towards  Cold  Harbor,  burning  and 
deserting  vast  quantities  of  army  stores.  General 
Lee  directed  Jackson  to  proceed  to  Cold  Harbor  with 
D.  H.  Hill,  and  strike  their  line  of  retreat.  Not 
knowing  the  country,  Jackson  was  misled  into  taking 
the  wrong  road,  and  had  to  retrace  his  march,  thus 
losing  an  hour  of  precious  time,  while  the  cannonad- 
ing told  that  the  battle  was  thickening  in  front,  and 
there  was  danger  that  he  might  be  too  late  to  fulfil 
his  order.  But  he  maintained  his  calmness  and  com- 
posure, and  when  this  fear  was  suggested  to  him,  he 
replied:  "No,  let  us  trust  that  the  providence  of 
God  will  so  overrule  it  that  no  mischief  shall  result." 


294  LIFE   OF   GENERAL   THOMAS  J.  JACKSOX. 

The  event  proved  that  his  confidence  w^as  not  mis- 
taken, for  by  this  delay  D.  II.  Hill  was  enabled  to 
meet  him  precisely  at  the  appointed  time  and  place. 
While  A.  P.  Hill  was  fighting  against  overwhelming 
numbers,  Jackson,  with  D.  H.  Hill,  advanced  under 
the  hottest  fire,  and  for  several  hours  continued  the 
combat  with  wavering  fortunes.  The  battle  was  a 
hardly  contested  one ;  but  the  Confederates,  after 
making  the  most  stubborn  resistance,  and  stoutly 
holding  every  inch  of  ground  they  had  won,  at  last 
won  the  day.  The  faithful  Stonewall  Brigade,  under 
General  Winder,  with  D.  H.  Hill's  command,  made 
brilliant  charges ;  and,  with  simultaneous  successes 
upon  other  parts  of  the  field,  the  whole  wing  of  the 
Federal  army,  with  its  reinforcements,  was  forced  back 
into  the  swamps  of  the  Chickahominy. 

During  this  terrible  day,  while  the  issue  was  in 
suspense,  Jackson  was  seen  to  show  unwonted  excite- 
ment, riding  restlessly  to  and  fro,  despatching  mes- 
sengers to  each  of  his  division  commanders  with  this 
sharp  command  :  "  Tell  them  this  affair  must  hang 
in  suspense  no  longer;  sweep  the  field  with  the  bay- 
onet T  But  before  his  messages  were  received,  the 
ringing  cheers  rising  from  every  side  out  of  the  smok- 
ing woods  relieved  his  anxiety,  and  told  him  that  the 
day  was  won.  The  next  morning  there  was  not  a 
Federal  soldier  north  of  the  Chickahominy.  In  Jack- 
son's official  report  of  the  battle,  he  thus  describes 
the  part  borne  by  the  gallant  General  Hood  and  his 
Texans,  who  were  under  his  command  : 

"  Advancing  through  a  number  of  retreating  and 
disordered  regiments,  he  came  within  range  of  the 


THE   SEVEN   DAYS'   BATTLES.  295 

enemy's  fire;  who,  concealed  in  an  open  wood  and 
protected  by  breastworks,  poured  a  destructive  fire, 
for  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  into  his  advancing  line,  under 
which  many  brave  officers  and  men  fell.  Dasliing  on 
with  unfaltering  step  in  the  face  of  these  murderous 
discharges  of  canister  and  musketry,  General  Hood 
and  Colonel  Laws,  at  the  heads  of  their  respective  bri- 
gades, rushed  to  the  charge  with  a  yell.  Moving 
down  a  precipitous  ravine,  leaping  ditch  and  stream, 
clambering  up  a  difficult  ascent,  and  exposed  to  an  in- 
cessant and  deadly  lire  from  the  intrenchments,  these 
brave  and  determined  men  pressed  forward,  driving 
the  enemy  from  his  well-selected  and  fortified  posi- 
tion. In  this  charge,  in  which  upwards  of  a  thousand 
men  fell,  killed  and  wounded,  before  the  face  of  the 
enemy,  and  in  which  fourteen  pieces  of  artillery,  and 
nearly  a  regiment  were  captured,  the  Fourth  Texas, 
under  the  lead  of  General  Hood,  was  the  first  to 
pierce  these  strongholds  and  seize  the  guns.  .  .  . 
The  shouts  of  triumpli  which  rose  from  our  brave 
men  as  they,  unaided  by  artillery,  had  stormed  this 
citadel  of  their  strength,  were  promptly  carried  from 
line  to  line,  and  the  triumphant  issue  of  this  assault, 
with  the  well-directed  fire  of  the  batteries,  and  suc- 
cessful charges  of  Hill  and  Winder  upon  the  enemy's 
right,  determined  the  fortunes  of  the  day.  The  Fed- 
erals, routed  at  every  point,  and  aided  by  the  dark- 
ness of  the  night,  escaped  across  the  Chickahominy." 

The  next  morning,  as  General  Jackson  inspected 
this  position  and  saw  the  deadly  disadvantages  under 
which  the  Texans  had  carried  it,  he  exclaimed :  '-  These 
men  are  soldiers  indeed !" 


296  I^IFE   OF  GENERAL   THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

The  Confederates  had  indeed  gained  a  great  victory. 
It  now  remained  to  push  their  success  to  the  utmost. 
To  this  end  Ewell  and  Stuart  were  sent  to  cut  off  the 
retreat  by  the  York  River  Railroad,  which  was  effected. 
Before  retiring,  the  enemy  destroyed  a  vast  amount  of 
army  stores  and  burned  the  residence  and  farm  build- 
ings of  General  Lee  at  the  White  House.  The  retreat 
down  the  Peninsula  being  now  cut  off,  it  only  remained 
for  the  Confederate  right  wing  to  get  between  it  and 
the  James  River  to  complete  the  success  by  the  capt- 
ure of  the  whole  Federal  army.  But  the  retreat  was 
aided  by  the  dense  forests  and  impassable  swamps,  and 
as  they  burned  the  bridges  across  the  Chickahominy 
as  soon  as  they  had  crossed  them,  they  were  able  to 
continue  their  march  towards  the  James.  At  their 
intrenchments,  and  in  their  track,  were  found  desert- 
ed supplies  of  vast  army  stores,  much  of  which  they 
had  attempted  to  destroy.  But,  notwithstanding,  the 
spoils  proved  a  rich  harvest  to  the  Confederates,  wlio 
gained  great  stores  of  fixed  ammunition,  and,  besides, 
the  suffering  country  people  were  supplied  with  much- 
needed  provisions  and  necessaries. 

McClellan's  last  intrenchments  were  at  Savage 
Station,  where  General  Magruder  made  a  vigorous 
attack  upon  his  flank  and  front,  and  drove  him  out  of 
them  near  sunset  of  the  29th.  The  sound  of  the  com- 
bat put  Jackson  on  the  qui  vive,  and  as  he  lay  down 
under  tlie  open  sky  for  a  short  rest,  he  gave  ordei's 
that  everything  should  be  ready  to  move  at  early 
dawn.  At  midnight  he  was  awakened  by  a  sudden 
shower,  which  drenched  him  so  thoroughly  that  he 
could  sleep  no  more,  and  he  determined  to  ])recede  his 
troops  to  the  position  of  Magruder,  in  order  to  have 


SLEEPING   IN   THE   RAIN.  297 

time  for  fuller  conference.    This  was  the  same  gallant 

John  Bankhead  Magruder  under  whom  Jackson  won 

his  first  laurels  as  a  soldier  in  Mexico. 

On  June  30th  General  Jackson  wrote  thus  to  his 

wife : 

"Near  White  Oak  Swamp  Bridge. 

"  An  ever-kind  Providence  has  greatly  blessed  our 
efforts  and  given  us  great  reason  for  thankfulness  in 
having  defended  Richmond.  To-day  the  enemy  is  re- 
treating down  the  Chickahominy  towards  the  James 
River.  Many  prisoners  are  falling  into  our  hands. 
General  D.  H.  Hill  and  I  are  together.  I  had  a  wet 
bed  last  night,  as  the  rain  fell  in  torrents.  I  got  up 
about  midnight,  and  haven't  seen  much  rest  since.  I 
do  trust  that  our  God  will  soon  bless  us  with  an  honor- 
able peace,  and  permit  us  to  be  together  at  home  again 
in  the  enjoyment  of  domestic  happiness. 

"  You  must  give  fifty  dollars  for  church  purposes, 
and  more  should  you  be  disposed.  Keep  an  account 
of  the  amount,  as  we  must  give  at  least  one  tenth  of 
our  income.  I  would  like  very  much  to  see  my  dar- 
ling, but  hope  that  God  will  enable  me  to  remain  at 
the  post  of  duty  until,  in  His  own  good  time,  He 
blesses  us  Avith  independence.  This  going  home  has 
injured  the  army  immensely." 

After  the  discomforts  of  the  previous  night,  when 
his  troops  came  up,  he  was  found  drying  himself  be- 
fore a  camp-lire,  but,  speedily  taking  his  place  at  their 
head  and  moving  on,  captured  at  Savage  Station  a 
field  hospital  containing  twenty-five  hundred  sick  and 
wounded.  Other  prisoners  fell  into  his  hands  at  every 
step,  until  one  thousand  were  sent  to  the  rear.     An 


298  LIFE   OF   GENERAL  THOMAS   J.  JACKSON. 

oiRcer,  congratulating  him  on  the  great  number  of  his 
captives,  said  they  surrendered  too  willingly,  and  that 
their  maintenance  would  be  a  heavy  expense  to  the 
Confederacy  ;  but  General  Jackson  answered,  with  a 
smile,  "  It  is  cheaper  to  feed  them  than  to  fight  them," 
On  this  day,  the  30th,  he  surprised  the  enemy  by  a 
fierce  onslauo:ht  from  his  batteries  that  were  in  a  con- 
cealed  position,  which  drove  them  rapidly  to  the  rear, 
leaving  several  pieces  of  artillery  behind  them.  They 
afterwards  rallied,  and  during  the  rest  of  the  day  an 
artillery  duel  was  kept  up ;  but  as  each  party  was  in- 
visible to  the  other,  not  much  damage  resulted  to  either 
side.  The  White  Oak  Swamp  bridge  having  been  de- 
stroyed, Jackson  made  an  attempt  to  repair  it,  so  as^to 
pursue  the  enemy ;  but  when  night  came,  and  he  saw 
that  so  little  had  been  accomplished,  more  wearied 
and  depressed  than  he  had  ever  been  seen  to  be  before, 
as  he  lay  down  to  sleep,  he  said :  "  Now,  gentlemen, 
let  us  at  once  to  bed,  and  rise  with  the  dawn,  and  see 
if  to-morrow  we  cannot  do  something  .^" 

Durino:  that  night  the  Federal  forces  skilfuUv  with- 
drew  from  his  front  and  moved  to  Malvern  Hill.  At 
an  early  hour  the  next  morning,  July  1st,  Jackson  put 
his  corps  in  motion  and  crossed  the  White  Oak  Swamp. 
His  reconnoissance  showed  him  the  enemy  strongly 
posted  upon  an  eminence  in  front  of  IVIalvern  Hill.  In 
short,  the  whole  army  of  McClellan,  which  was  still 
powerful  and  well  disciplined,  was  now  assembled  on 
one  lield,  wiiile  the  whole  (Confederate  army  was  con- 
verging around  it,  under  the  immediate  eye  of  the 
ffeneral-in-chief  and  the  President.  The  war  of  the 
giants  was  now  about  to  begin.  The  position  of  the 
Federals  was  selected  by  McClellan  himself  with  con- 


BATTLE   OF   MALVERN  HILL.  299 

summate  skill — the  ridge  coramanding  all  the  sur- 
rounding country,  and  he  was  also  under  the  protec- 
tion of  his  gun-boats  in  the  James  River.  The  Con- 
federates labored  under  the  disadvantage  of  an  in- 
ferior position,  having  also  to  cross  swampy  woods 
and  a  plain,  which  was  exposed  to  the  fire  of  McClel- 
lan's  artillery,  and,  as  they  approached  his  intrench- 
raents,  his  deadly  musketry  was  equally  appalling. 
The  Confederate  leaders  were  likewise  ignorant  of  the 
country,  which  impeded  their  progress  and  delayed 
the  opening  of  the  battle  until  late  in  the  afternoon. 
But  on  it  came  at  last,  and  raged  with  the  utmost  fury 
until  night  put  an  end  to  the  conflict.  Jackson's 
troops  fought  with  their  usual  bravery,  but  he  con- 
ceded the  laurels  of  the  day  to  D.  H.  Hill,  who  charged 
across  the  open  plain  in  face  of  a  terrific  fire  of  artil- 
lery, under  which  his  men  fell  fast.  But  he  was  soon 
reinforced  by  Jackson,  and  enabled  to  maintain  his 
ground  until  the  veil  of  darkness  interposed  and  mer- 
cifully closed  the  bloody  struggle.  At  ten  o'clock  the 
battle  died  away,  when  Jackson  retired  slowly  and 
wearily  to  the  rear  to  seek  some  refreshment  and  rest. 
His  faithful  servant,  Jim,  prepared  a  pallet  for  him  on 
the  ground,  in  the  midst  of  a  confused  multitude  of 
wagons  and  stragglers,  and  after  partaking  of  some 
food  he  sank  to  sleep.  At  one  o'clock  he  was  awak- 
ened by  his  division  commanders,  who  wished  to  re- 
ceive instructions  for  the  mornmg.  These  officers  all 
agreed  in  the  opinion  that  McClellan  would  probably 
take  the  ao^crressive  on  the  morrow,  and  were  full  of 
apprehension  as  to  their  ability  to  resist  him.  Jack- 
son listened  indifferently,  asking  a  few  brief  questions, 
and  said,  as  if  at  ease  in  the  matter,  "  No ;  I  think  he 
will  clear  out  in  the  morning." 


300     LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

His  words  were  prophetic,  for  when  morning 
dawned,  with  a  pouring  rain,  McCleUan  was  indeed 
gone,  leaving  behind  him  the  marks  of  a  precipitate 
retreat.  The  wearied  Confederates  were  permitted 
by  the  commander-in-chief  to  rest  a  day  and  replen- 
ish the  ammunition  of  their  batteries,  and  had  orders 
to  move  the  next  day  in  pursuit.  Jackson  was  most 
impatient  to  march  with  the  dawn,  hurrying  off  with- 
out breakfast ;  but  after  losing  a  day,  which  gave  the 
Federals  time  to  reach  the  shelter  of  their  gun-boats, 
the  march  proved  to  be  a  useless  one,  and  the  oppor- 
tunity of  capturing  the  enemy  was  gone. 

"  The  commander-in-chief  was  disappointed  to  learn, 
on  his  arrival  in  front  of  the  Federals,  that  no  oppor- 
tunity had  been  found  for  striking  a  blow,  either  on 
their  retreat  or  in  their  present  position.  lie  immedi- 
ately rode  forward  with  General  Jackson,  and  the  two, 
dismounting,  proceeded  without  attendants  to  make  a 
careful  reconnoissance  on  foot  of  the  enemy's  whole 
line  and  position.  Jackson  concurred  fully  in  the  re- 
luctant opinion  to  which  General  Lee  was  brought  by 
this  examination — that  an  attack  would  now  be  im- 
proper ;  so  that  after  mature  discussion  it  was  deter- 
mined that  the  enemy  should  be  left  unassailed  to  the 
effects  of  the  summer  heats  and  the  malaria,  which 
were  now  at  hand." 

General  Lee,  in  the  close  of  his  report,  says : 

"  Under  ordinary  circumstances  the  Federal  array 
should  have  been  destroyed.  .  .  .  But  regret  that  more 
was  not  accomplished  gives  wny  to  gratitude  to  the 
Sovereign  Ruler  of  the  universe  for  the  results  achieved. 
The  siege  of  Richmond  was  raised,  and  the  object  of 


RESULT   OF  SEVEN   DAYS'  BATTLES.  301 

a  campaign,  which  had  been  prosecuted  after  months 
of  preparation  at  an  enormous  expenditure  of  men  and 
money,  completely  frustrated.  More  than  ten  thou- 
sand prisoners— including  officers  of  rank — fifty-two 
pieces  of  artillery,  and  upwards  of  thirty-five  thousand 
stand  of  small-arms,  were  captured.  The  stores  and 
supplies  of  every  description  which  fell  into  our  hands 
were  great  in  amount  and  value ;  but  small  in  com- 
parison with  those  destroyed  by  the  enemy.  His 
losses  in  battle  exceeded  our  own,  as  attested  by  the 
thousands  of  dead  and  wounded  left  on  every  field ; 
while  his  subsequent  inaction  shows  in  what  condition 
the  survivors  reached  the  protection  to  which  they 
fled." 

After  spending  a  few  day&  in  a  much-needed  rest 
and  in  gathering  up  arms,  the  Confederate  army  was 
marched  back,  on  the  8th  of  July,  to  the  vicinity  of 
Richmond. 

A  few  extracts  from  Jackson's  letters  at  this  time 
will  furnish  glimpses  of  his  varied  experiences  during 
this  memorable  week.     Thus  he  writes : 

"  When  my  command  arrived  at  AVhite  Oak  Swamp 
bridge  we  found  it  broken  up  by  the  enemy ;  but  Ave 
opened  upon  the  Federal  artillery,  and  succeeded  in 
securing  one  of  their  cannons,  four  caissons,  and  one 
battery  wagon,  in  addition  to  part  of  a  pontoon-bridge 
train  and  prisoners.  Many  prisoners  have  fallen  into 
our  hands,  and  they  really  appear  gratified  at  the  idea 
of  being  taken.  I  have  never  seen  prisoners  so  con- 
tented. .  .  .  On  Tuesday  we  had  another  engage- 
ment, in  which  General  D.  H.  Hill,  with  his  division. 


302  LIFE   OF   GENERAL   THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

accomplished  more  than  any  other  part  of  the  army. 
Other  troops  were  sent  to  support  him,  but  his  division 
may  be  said  to  have  borne  tlie  brunt  of  the  battle,  and 
he  was  by  far  the  most  distinguished  officer  engaged 
that  day.  My  position  is  now  about  three  miles  north 
of  James  Kiver,  and  twenty  -  five  miles  below  Rich- 
mond. During  the  past  week  I  have  not  been  well, 
have  suffered  from  fever  and  debility,  but  through 
the  blessing:  of  an  ever-kind  Providence  I  am  much 
better  to-day.  Last  week  I  received  a  present  of  a 
beautiful  summer  hat  from  a  lady  in  Cumberland. 
Our  Heavenly  Father  gives  me  friends  wherever  I 
go.  ...  It  would  be  delightful  to  see  my  darling,  but 
we  know  that  all  things  are  ordered  for  the  best." 

The  corps  reached  the  neighborhood  of  Richmond 
on  the  10th  of  July,  and  it  was  during  its  stay  of  a 
few  days  there  that  General  Jackson  made  his  first 
appearance  openly  in  the  city,  for  the  purpose  of  at- 
tending divine  worship  on  the  Sabbath.  He  thus 
speaks  of  it  in  a  letter  to  his  wife : 

"  Yesterday  I  heard  Rev.  Dr.  M.  D.  Iloge  preach  in 
his  church,  and  also  in  the  camp  of  the  Stonewall 
Brigade.  It  is  a  great  comfort  to  have  the  privilege 
of  spending  a  quiet  Sabbath  within  the  walls  of  a 
house  dedicated  to  the  service  of  God." 

He  slipped  into  the  church  unattended — quietly  and 
modestly  took  a  seat  near  the  door,  and,  after  the  ser- 
vices were  over,  was  gone  before  the  congregation  was 
aware  of  his  presence.  After  calling  on  a  mother  who 
had  lost  a  son  in  his  command,  he  returned  to  his  tent. 


"WHAT!    STOXEWALL  JACKSON?"  303 

So  great  was  the  modesty  of  the  now  famous  general 
that  he  found  his  greatness  embarrassing,  and  he  shrank 
more  from  public  notice  and  applause.  Whenever  his 
soldiers  caught  sight  of  him,  they  rent  the  air  with 
their  cheers,  which  he  always  acknowledged  by  lifting 
his  cap,  and  then  putting  spurs  to  his  horse  and  gal- 
loping away  at  the  top  of  his  speed.  "Little  Sorrel" 
seemed  to  know  the  signal  for  this  stampede,  and  per- 
haps it  was  from  these  marvellous  flights  that  the 
"  foot-cavalry  "  drew  some  of  their  inspiration.  When- 
ever the  sound  of  the  "  rebel  yell "  was  heard  in  their 
camp,  the  soldiers  jocularly  said,  "  That's  '  old  Jack,' 
or  a  raltbit  P'' 

In  the  movements  of  the  troops  around  Eichmond, 
on  one  occasion,  Jackson  and  his  staff  were  compelled 
to  ride  through  a  field  of  uncut  oats.  The  owner 
rushed  out  upon  them  with  great  indignation,  venting 
his  rage  specially  on  the  general's  devoted  head,  and 
demandmg  his  name  '*  that  he  might  report  him."  In 
a  quiet  tone  the  name  was  given.  "  What  Jackson  ?" 
asked  the  farmer.  "  General  Jackson,"  was  the  replv. 
"What!"  exclaimed  the  electrified  man,  as  the  truth 
dawned  upon  him— '' what !  '  Sto7iewalV  Jackson?" 
"  That  is  what  they  call  me,"  was  the  answer.  Tak- 
ing off  his  hat  with  the  profoundest  respect,  and  with 
a  voice  now  all  kindness  and  reverence,  the  man  said : 
"  General  Jackson,  ride  over  my  whole  field  ;  do  what- 
ever you  like  with  it,  sir." 

On  the  1-ith  of  July,  he  wrote  to  his  wife  from 
Richmond  : 

"Again  your  husband  is  about  leaving  his  camp. 


304:  LIFE   OF    GENERAL   THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

Please  direct  your  next  letter  to  Gordonsville,  and 
continue  to  address  me  there  until  you  hear  otherwise. 
Everybody  doesn't  know  the  meaning  and  location  of 
'  Headquarters,  Valley  District  P  " 

During  his  campaign  in  the  valley  he  had  requested 
that  his  letters  should  be  directed  simply  to  "  Head- 
quarters, Valley  District"  —  his  headquarters  during 
all  that  time  being  principally  in  the  saddle ;  but  after 
he  was  transferred  to  Kichmond  the  inappropriate- 
ness  of  this  address  amused  him,  and  perhaps  caused 
delay  and  even  loss  of  his  letters.  Ubiquitous  as  he 
was  during  the  war,  he  could  not  have  any  one  address 
long.  About  the  time  of  his  leaving  Richmond,  his 
chief  of  staff,  the  Eev.  Dr.  Dabney  (who  afterwards 
wrote  his  biography)  was  compelled  to  resign  in  con- 
sequence of  ill-health.  The  general  wrote :  "  It  was 
with  tearful  eyes  that  I  consented  to  our  separation." 
This  officer,  by  his  intelligence  and  faithfulness,  had 
been  invaluable  to  him,  not  only  in  his  Valley  Cam- 
paign, but  in  the  battles  around  Richmond.  In  one 
instance,  at  the  battle  of  Chickahominy,  a  misconcep- 
tion of  Jackson's  orders  on  the  part  of  a  messenger 
might  have  resulted  in  a  fatal  error  but  for  the  prompt- 
ness and  efficiency  of  the  chief  of  staff,  who,  compre- 
hending the  general's  true  intentions,  and  the  urgency 
of  the  occasion,  went  himself  in  person  and  brought 
all  into  harmonious  action,  and  thus  decided  the  fort- 
unes of  the  day. 

In  a  letter  to  his  wife  he  says : 

"  If  you  will  vouch  for  Joseph's  (her  brother)  being 


ALWAYS   KIND  TO    THOSE   WHO   DID   THEIR   DUTY.    305 

an  early  riser  during  the  remainder  of  the  war,  I  will 
give  him  an  aide-ship.  I  do  not  want  to  make  an 
appointment  on  my  staff  except  of  such  as  are  early 
risers ;  but  if  you  will  vouch  for  him  to  rise  regularly 
at  dawn,  I  will  offer  him  the  position.'-' 

The  youth,  Captain  J.  G.  Morrison,  was  courageous 
enough  to  accept  even  on  this  rigid  condition,  and 
served  the  general  faithfully  until  his  death,  being 
himself  twice  wounded,  the  last  time  losing  the  whole 
of  one  foot,  except  the  heel. 

General  Jackson  was  no  respecter  of  persons  when 
duty  was  concerned.  On  one  occasion,  when  he  had 
an  early  march  before  him,  he  so  lost  his  patience  with 
the  tardiness  of  his  staff  in  rising  that  he  ordered  his 
cook  to  pack  up  everything,  and  to  throw  away  the 
coffee,  which  had  been  captured  from  the  enemy  and 
was  a  rare  luxury ;  and  he  finally  threatened  to  arrest 
the  whole  staff  if  they  did  not  get  up  immediately. 
This  had  the  effect  of  awakening  them  thoroughly, 
and  doubtless  of  arousing  some  ire  also  against  the 
stern  and  relentless  leader,  though  all  who  served  un- 
der him  were  ready  to  say,  as  one  did,  that  "  his  kind- 
ness to  those  lolio  did  their  duty  was  like  a  woman's." 
The  attachment  of  members  of  his  staff  to  him  was 
sincere  and  strong.  They  knew  he  was  sterner  to 
himself  than  he  was  to  them,  and  could  never  doubt 
his  whole-souled  and  patriotic  devotion.  I  shall  never 
forget  the  intense  feeling  with  which  young  "  Sandy  " 
Pendleton  (as  he  was  called)  said  to  me  the  day  after 
General  Jackson's  death,  his  face  bathed  in  tears: 
"  God  knows  I  loould  have  died  for  him  /" 
20 


306      LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSOX. 

This  true  and  gallant  officer  followed  his  general  to 
the  ffrave  in  less  than  a  vear — slain  in  battle  in  his 
youth  and  promise.  He  was  the  only  son  of  the  Rev. 
General  W.  X.  Pendleton,  of  Lexington,  and  would 
have  followed  his  father's  sacred  calling  if  he  had 
lived.  A  tender  romance  hangs  around  his  memory. 
With  his  ardent,  chivalrous  nature,  his  heart  was  soon 
captured  during  the  war  by  a  charming  young  lady, 
near  whose  home  he  was  stationed  for  a  time  in  win- 
ter-quarters. He  had  some  rivals  among  his  brother- 
officers,  but  was  successful  in  winning  the  prize,  and, 
obtaining  a  furlough,  was  married,  and  spent  a  few 
blissful  weeks  with  his  young  bride,  when  duty  called 
him  into  the  field,  and  they  never  met  again.  Many 
were  the  similar  tragedies  which  the  cruel  war  brought 
to  the  hearts  and  homes  of  the  devoted  Southern 
women,  for  even  the  stern  duties  of  the  soldier's  life 
did  not  put  a  stop  to  marrying  and  giving  in  mar- 
riage ;  hence  it  was  that  there  were  left  so  many  broken 
hearts  and  blighted  lives. 


.lACKSONS    ATTACK   ON    THE  KIGIIT  WING    OF   THE    FEDEUALS    AT   JIII-; 
J5ATTLK    OF    CIIAXCEr.LOHSVII.LE. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

CEDAR   RUX   AND   THE  SECOND   BATTLE   OF   MANASSAS. 

After  the  terrible  fatigues  of  the  campaign  around 
Richmond,  it  was  a  joyful  moment  when  Jackson  and 
his  troops  received  orders  (the  campaign  being  over) 
to  return  to  the  valley.  It  was  sad  to  think  that  they 
should  leave  thousands  of  their  comrades  behind 
them  to  sleep  their  last  sleep  near  the  city  which  they 
had  given  their  lives  to  defend.  But  they,  too,  had 
suffered  from  hardships  and  exposure.  Some  were 
just  out  of  the  hospital  walking  on  crutches,  or  with 
their  arms  in  slings  ;  others  had  contracted  diseases 
as  deadly  as  wounds,  but  who  felt  new  life  from  the 
thought  of  exchanging  the  swamps  of  the  Chickahom- 
iny  for  the  bracing  air  of  their  native  mountains.  Xo 
one  had  undergone  more  exposure  than  their  com- 
mander, who  had  slept  on  the  ground,  and  had  the 
coarse  fare  of  the  common  soldiers,  so  that  he  and 
they  were  alike  in  the  highest  spirits  when  they  set 
out  on  their  return  march.  On  the  r,>th  of  July  they 
reached  Gordonsville,  from  which  Jackson  writes  to 
his  wife  : 

''  I  have  been  staying  for  a  few  days  with  Mrs. 
Barbour,  mother-in-law  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Ewing,  of  our 
church,  and  have  received  much  kindness  from  lier 
and  her  three  daughters.  My  tent  opens  upon  the  Blue 


A   CHRISTIAN   HOUSEHOLD.  399 

Ridge  in  the  distance.     The  wagon-train  is  moving  in 
front."  ^ 

The  society  and  kindness  of  this  Christian  family 
were   exceedingly  congenial    and  refreshing  to  him, 
and  after  the  duties  of  the  day  were  over  he  spent 
his  leisure  moments  in  their  home  circle,  enjoying 
their  hospitality,  and  amusing  himself  with  the  chiF- 
dren  of  the  household.     One  little  girl,  in  particular, 
he  made  a  special  pet  of,  often  taking  her  upon  his  knee 
and  caressing  her  until  she  grew  so  fond  of  him  that 
she  asked  him  one  day  to  give  her  as  a  keepsake  one 
of  the  bright  bi'ass  buttons  from  his  coat  when  it  was 
worn    out.     Months   afterwards,  although    burdened 
Avith  the  most  anxious  and  weighty  cares  of  an  ardu- 
ous campaign,  he  did  not  forget  the  request,  and  sent 
the  promised  button,  which  the  delighted  child  pre- 
served as  one  of  her  greatest  treasures. 

General  Jackson  found  special  pleasure  in  joining 
Mr.  Swing's  household  in  their  family  Avorship,  and 
whenever  requested  would  conduct  prayers  himself. 
Mr.  Ewing  thus  describes  these  services:  "There 
was  something  very  striking  in  his  prayers.  He  did 
not  pray  to  men,  but  to  God.  His  tones  were  deep, 
solemn,  tremulous.  He  seemed  to  realize  that  he  was 
speaking  to  Heaven's  King.  I  never  heard  any  one 
pray  who  seemed  to  be  pervaded  more  fully  'by  a 
spirit  of  self-abnegation.  He  seemed  to  feel  niore 
than  any  man  I  ever  knew  the  danger  of  robbing 
God  of  the  glory  due  for  our  success." 

After  spending  a  few  days  at  Gordonsville,  he 
changed  his  quarters  into  the  county  of  Louisa,  near 
by,  so  as  to  find  in  that  fertile  region    better  pastur- 


810  LIFE   OF   GENERAL   THOMAS   J.  JACKSOX. 

ae:e  for  bis  horses.  He  also  wished  to  be  more  retired 
and  devote  bis  time  to  reorganizing  his  command,  and 
getting  both  men  and  horses  into  better  condition  for 
future  service.  Just  before  this  move  he  wrote  from 
Gordonsville,  on  the  2Sth  of  July  : 

"  My  darling  wife,  I  am  just  overburdened  with 
work,  and  I  hope  you  will  not  think  hard  at  receiving 
only  very  short  letters  from  your  loving  husband.  A 
number  of  officers  are  with  me,  but  people  keep  com- 
inof  to  mv  tent — thouo-h  let  me  sav  no  more.  A 
Christian  should  never  complain.  The  apostle  Paul 
said,  '  I  glory  in  tribulations  I'  AVhat  a  bright  ex- 
ample for  others  !" 

After  ascertaining  that  the  enemy  were  in  large 
force  under  General  Pope,  combinmg  the  united  com- 
mands of  Fremont,  Shields,  Banks,  and  McDowell, 
making  an  army  of  at  least  fifty  thousand  men,  Jack- 
son applied  to  General  Lee  for  reinforcements.  The 
division  of  A.  P.  Hill  was  immediately  sent  to  him, 
and,  with  this  accession  to  his  small  army,  Jackson 
had  no  intention  of  remaining  idle  or  of  awaiting  an 
attack  from  so  powerful  a  foe,  but  determined  to  strike 
a  blow  himself  before  the  enemy  had  time  to  concen- 
trate all  their  forces,  lie  therefore  advanced  tow- 
ards them  on  the  7th  of  August.  Before  taking  this 
step,  it  was  observed  that  he  was  much  in  ])rayer,  but 
this  was  his  custom  previous  to  every  battle.  Even 
upon  the  field  he  was  often  seen  to  lilt  his  eyes  and 
raise  his  right  arm  as  if  in  earnest  prayer,  and  some- 
times it  seemed  that  while  his  soul  was  thus  lifted  up 
in  supplication,  the  Lord  of  hosts  heard  and  answered, 
giving  him  the;  victory. 


THE   BATTLE  OF   CEDAR   RUN.  311 

Pope's  army  was  gathering  in  all  its  strength  at 
Culpepper  Court-House,  and  on  the  9th  of  August 
Jackson's  little  army  came  in  contact  with  his  ad- 
vance-guard about  six  miles  from  the  Court-IIouse,  on 
the  borders  of  a  little  stream  called  Cedar  Run.  Here 
hostilities  began  by  a  furious  cannonade  on  both  sides, 
lasting  two  hours,  when,  about  live  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon,  the  infantry  of  both  armies  became  hotly 
engaged.  The  conflict  was  fierce  and  stubborn,  but 
the  overwhelming  numbers  of  the  enemy  swept  down 
with  such  impetuosity  that  the  weaker  party  were 
forced  to  yield,  and  it  looked  as  if  it  were  doomed  to 
destruction.  Ewell,  Early,  A.  P.  Hill,  Winder,  and 
other  commanders  all  fought  their  bravest  and  best — 
the  gallant  Winder  receiving  a  mortal  wound — and 
still  they  were  pressed  back.  "  It  was  at  this  fearful 
moment,"  says  his  late  chief -of -staff ,  Dr.  Dabney,  "  that 
the  genius  of  the  storm  reared  his  head,  and  in  an 
instant  the  tide  was  turned.  Jackson  appeared  in  the 
mid-torrent  of  the  highway,  his  face  flaming  with  the 
inspiration  of  battle :  he  ordered  the  batteries  which 
Winder  had  placed  to  be  instantly  withdrawn  to  pre- 
serve them  from  capture  ;  he  issued  his  summons  for 
his  reserves ;  he  drew  his  own  sword  (the  first  time  in 
the  war),  and  shouted  to  the  broken  troops  with  a 
voice  which  pealed  higher  than  the  roar  of  battle  : 
'  Rally,  brave  men,  and  press  forward  !  Your  gen- 
eral will  lead  you  !  Jackson  will  lead  you  !  Follow 
me !'  This  appeal  was  not  in  vain,  and  the  Federals, 
startled  by  this  unexpected  rally,  M'ere  driven  from 
the  field.  They  afterwards  made  an  attempt  to  re- 
trieve the  fortunes  of  the  day,  which  they  had  so 
nearly  won,  by  an  assault  from  a  magnificent  body  of 


312      LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

cavalry,  but  even  this  was  repelled,  and  the  troopers 
driven  in  full  retreat." 

That  night  Jackson  bivouacked  with  his  troops. 
Finding  every  house  tilled  with  the  wounded,  he  de- 
clined to  enter,  saying  the  sufferers  needed  a  place  for 
rest  more  than  he  did.  He  was  so  utterly  worn  out 
that  he  threw  himself  upon  a  grass-plot — one  of  his 
staff  kindly  spreading  a  cloak  to  add  to  his  comfort 
— and  here,  underneath  the  star-lit  canopy  of  heaven, 
he  found  that  rest  and  sleep  which  his  wearied  frame 
so  much  demanded.  When  offered  food  his  reply  was : 
"  No,  I  want  rest,  nothing  but  7'est  /" 

Two  days  after  the  battle  he  wrote  to  his  wife  : 

"On  last  Saturday  our  God  again  crowned  our 
arms  with  victory,  about  six  miles  from  Culpepper 
Court-IIouse.  I  can  hardly  think  of  the  fall  of  Brig- 
adier-General C.  S.  AVinder  without  tearful  eyes. 
Let  us  all  unite  more  earnestly  in  imploring  God's 
aid  in  fighting  our  battles  for  us.  The  thought  that 
there  are  so  many  of  God's  people  praying  for  Ills 
blessing  upon  the  army  greatly  strengthens  and  en- 
courages me.  The  Lord  has  answered  their  prayers, 
and  my  trust  is  in  Ilim,  that  lie  will  continue  to  do 
so.  If  God  be  for  us,  who  can  be  against  us  ?  That 
lie  will  still  be  with  us  and  give  us  victory  until  our 
independence  shall  be  established,  and  that  He  will 
make  our  nation  that  people  whose  God  is  the  Lord, 
is  my  earnest  and  oft -repeated  prayer.  While  we 
attach  so  much  importance  to  being  free  from  tem- 
poral bondage,  we  must  attach  far  more  to  being  free 
from  the  bondage  of  sin." 


THE  DEATU  OF  GENERAL  WINDER.       313 

This  battle  of  Cedar  Kun  Jackson  himself  pro- 
nounced the  most  successful  of  his  exploits.  But  he 
announced  it  to  his  commander-in-chief,  General  Lee, 
in  these  devout  and  modest  terms  : 

''August  11th,  6.30  A.  M.  On  the  evening  of  the 
9th,  God  blessed  our  arms  with  another  victory.  The 
battle  was  near  Cedar  Eun,  about  six  miles  from 
Culpepper  Court -House.  The  enemy,  according  to 
statements  of  prisoners,  consisted  of  Banks's,  McDow- 
ell's, and  SigeFs  commands.  We  have  over  four  hun- 
dred prisoners,  including  Brigadier  -  General  Price. 
Whilst  our  list  of  killed  is  less  than  that  of  the  enemy, 
we  have  to  mourn  the  loss  of  some  of  our  best  officers 
and  men.  Brigadier-General  Charles  S.  Winder  was 
mortally  wounded  whilst  ably  discharging  his  duty  at 
the  head  of  his  command,  which  was  the  advance  of 
the  left  wing  of  the  army.  We  have  collected  about 
fifteen  hundred  small-arms  and  other  ordnance  stores." 

In  his  official  report,  he  pays  this  tribute  to  the 
late  commander  of  the  Stonewall  Brigade,  the  brave 
General  Winder : 

"  It  is  difficult  within  the  proper  reserve  of  an  offi- 
cial report  to  do  justice  to  the  merits  of  this  accom- 
plished officer.  Urged  by  the  medical  director  to  take 
no  part  in  the  movements  of  the  day,  because  of  the 
enfeebled  state  of  his  health,  his  ardent  patriotism  and 
military  pride  could  bear  no  such  restraint.  Ptichly 
endowed  with  those  qualities  of  mmd  and  person 
which  fit  an  officer  for  command,  and  which  attract 
the  admiration  and  excite  the  enthusiasm  of  troops, 


314  LU'K   OF   GENERAL   THOMAS   J.  JACKSON. 

he  Avas  rapidly  rising  to  the  front  rank  of  his  profes- 
sion.    His  loss  has  been  severely  felt." 

The  report  closes  as  follows  : 

"  In  order  to  render  thanks  to  Almighty  God  for 
the  victory  at  Cedar  Eun,  and  other  victories,  and 
to  implore  His  continued  favor  in  the  future,  divine 
service  was  held  in  the  army  on  the  14th  of  August." 

In  this  battle  the  Confederates  had  between  eigh- 
teen and  twenty  thousand  men  engaged,  while  the 
Federals,  according  to  their  own  returns,  had  thirty- 
two  thousand.  Jackson,  however,  had  one  incalcu- 
lable advantage  over  the  enemy,  which  he  gained  by 
his  promptitude  in  seizing  and  holding  Slaughter's 
Mountain  —  an  elevation  which  commanded  all  the 
surrounding  jilains,  and  enabled  him  to  overlook  the 
whole  scene  of  action  as  it  lay  beneath  him,  and  to 
pour  down  the  volleys  of  his  artillery  upon  the  foe, 
while  his  own  gunners  were  secure  from  a  returning 
fire,  in  consequence  of  the  elevation  of  their  position. 
It  was  to  the  advantage  of  this  position  as  well  as 
the  bravery  of  his  troops  that  he  was  indebted  for  his 
complete  success. 

By  this  victory  Pope  received  such  a  blow  that  he 
was  deterred  from  making  another  advance  until  he 
could  gather  reinforcements.  Jkirnside's  corj)s  was 
withdrawn  from  North  Carohna  and  sent  on  to  Cul- 
pepper Court-IIouse,  and  it  was  believed  that  McClel- 
lan's  remaining  forces  would  be  recalled  from  James 
Biver  and  sent  also  to  swell  the  ranks  of  the  grand 
"Army  of  Virginia,"  as  the  command  of  Pope  was 


OUTLOOK  FROM  THE  TOP  OF  CLARKE'S  MOUNTAIN.      315 

called.  At  all  events,  General  Lee  was  convinced 
that  McClellan  was  incapable  of  further  aggression, 
and  that  the  most  effective  way  to  dislodge  him  from 
the  Peninsula  Avas  to  threaten  Washington  !  lie 
therefore  determined  to  move  his  army  from  Rich- 
mond to  Gordonsville.  He  began  his  march  on  the 
13th,  and  four  days  after,  on  the  17th,  McClellan 
evacuated  the  Peninsula  and  removed  his  troops  to 
the  Potomac. 

On  the  15th,  as  soon  as  the  troops  from  Pich- 
mond  began  to  arrive,  Jackson  left  Gordonsville,  and 
marched  to  the  base  of  Clarke's  Mountain,  on  a  peak 
of  which  he  had  established  a  signal  station,  which 
commanded  a  view  of  the  enemy's  encampment  along 
the  Orange  Railroad.  After  General  Lee  joined  him, 
with  their  united  forces  he  was  most  impatient  to 
push  on  in  pursuit  of  the  enemy  on  the  18th,  and  cut 
off  liis  line  of  retreat ;  but  General  Lee,  owing  to  the 
dilatoriness  of  a  part  of  his  subordinates,  deemed  it 
best  to  restrain  Jackson's  impetuosity,  and  postponed 
the  advance  until  the  20t]i,  to  give  his  troops  more 
time  for  preparation.  By  this  delay  the  success  of 
Jackson's  design  was  frustrated,  for  on  the  night 
of  the  18th  the  Federals  obtained  information  from 
a  party  of  colored  deserters  from  the  Confederate 
cam])  Avhich  so  alarmed  them  that  the  next  day, 
when  (General  Lee  ascended  Clarke's  Mountain  to 
take  a  look  at  their  encampment,  he  saw  their  tents 
gradually  disappearing,  and  the  work  went  steadily 
on  until  the  whole  of  Po|)e's  vast  army  "  folded  their 
tents  like  the  Arabs,  and  silently  stole  away !"  The 
object  of  Pope  Avas  to  place  the  Rappahannock  be- 
tween himseJi.  and  his  pursuers.     General  Lee  now 


316  LIFE   OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

hastened  to  pursue,  and  at  an  early  hour  on  the 
morning  of  the  20th  the  whole  Confederate  army 
was  put  in  motion.  General  Stuart's  splendid  division 
of  cavalry,  with  its  usual  daring,  dashed  across  the 
Eappahannock,  and  after  skirmishing  a  few  hours 
and  capturing  some  prisoners,  returned  to  report 
Pope's  whole  army  massed  upon  the  northern  bank 
of  the  Rappahannock,  with  a  powerful  artillery  pre- 
pared to  dispute  the  passage  of  General  Lee.  His 
position  on  that  side  of  the  river  was  far  more  safe 
and  defensible  than  when  Jackson  proposed  to  attack 
him  on  the  18th.  General  Lee  now  ordered  Jackson 
to  cross  the  Eappahannock  high  up,  and  by  a  forced 
march  go  to  Manassas  and  get  in  Pope's  rear.  Other 
divisions  were  sent  to  Pope's  front,  and  the  two  hos- 
tile armies  marched  along  on  either  side  of  the  stream, 
opening  fire  upon  each  other  whenever  the  opportunity 
offered.  Jackson  continued  his  march  up  stream  until 
he  reached  Warrenton  Springs,  on  the  22d,  where  he 
found  the  bridge  destroyed,  but  he  passed  Early's  bri- 
gade over  on  a  mill-dam,  and  took  possession  of  che 
Springs.  Before  other  troops  could  be  crossed  to  his 
support,  a  sudden  and  heavy  rain -fall  swelled  the 
river  so  as  to  render  it  impassable,  and  Early  was 
thus  cut  off  from  his  friends  and  surrounded  by  the 
enemy.  His  situation  was  one  of  extreme  peril,  but  he 
managed  to  conceal  his  troo]is  in  the  woods,  and  hold  his 
foes  at  bay  with  artillery,  until  Jackson  had  constrict- 
ed a  temporary  bridge,  and  by  the  dawn  of  the  morn- 
ing of  the  24:th  the  gallant  Early,  with  his  command, 
had  recrossed  the  river  w'ithout  the  loss  of  a  man. 

While  a  fierce  artillery  duel  was  going  on  across 
the  river  between  A.  P.  Hill  and  the  enemy,  Jack- 


GETTING  BETWEEN   POPE  AND   WASHINGTON.        317 

son  left  the  river-bank  a  few  miles,  and  marched  to 
the  village  of  Jeffersonton.  He  was  thus  lost  sight 
of  by  the  Federals,  and  to  Longstreet  was  given 
tiie  task  of  amusing  Pope  by  the  appearance  of  a 
crossing  at  Warrenton  Springs.  Jackson  was  now 
preparing  to  obey  Lee's  order  to  separate  himself 
from  the  rest  of  the  army,  pass  around  Pope  to 
the  westward,  and  place  his  corps  between  him  and 
Washino'ton  at  Manassas  Junction.  Leaving  behind 
him  all  his  trains,  except  ambulances  and  carriages 
for  ammunition,  and  making  a  hasty  issue  of  rations,  he 
started  from  Jeffersonton  early  on  the  morning  of  the 
25th  of  August.  On  that  day  he  wrote  a  hurried  note 
to  his  wife,  not  alluding  to  his  movements,  but  saying : 

"  The  enemy  has  taken  a  position,  or  rather  several 
positions,  on  the  Fauquier  side  of  the  Rappahannock. 
I  have  only  time  to  tell  you  how  much  I  love  my 
little  pet  dove."' 

Although  his  troops  had  been  constantly  marching 
and  fighting  for  five  days,  and  subsisting  upon  insuffi- 
cient rations,  supplemented  by  the  green  corn  of  the 
fields  along  their  route,  yet  they  did  not  lose  their 
enthusiasm  and  devotion  to  their  indefatigable  leader. 
Towards  the  close  of  the  day  he  had  gone  in  ad- 
vance of  the  column,  and,  dismounting,  had  stepped 
upon  a  large  stone  by  the  roadside,  probably  to  in- 
spect his  army  as  they  passed  by.  As  he  stood  upon 
this  elevation,  with  uplifted  cap,  the  sunset  glow  ir- 
radiating his  noble  face  and  figure,  his  men,  as  they 
caught  sight  of  him,  began  to  cheer,  but  he  quickly 
indicated  by  a  gesture  that  silence  must  be  preserved, 


B18  LIFE   OF   GENERAL   THOMAS   J.  JACKSOX. 

in  order  not  to  betray  their  presence  to  the  enemy. 
Down  the  column  were  passed  the  words,  "  No 
cheering,  boys ;  the  general  requests  it,"  and  the  com- 
mand was  instantly  obeyed  ;  but  as  the  soldiers  passed 
their  general,  they  waved  their  caps  in  the  air,  and 
their  eyes  bespoke  the  cheer  which  their  lips  had 
been  forbidden  to  utter.  As  the  columns  marched  by 
in  this  loyal  and  devoted  spirit,  General  Jackson 
turned  to  his  stafif,  with  a  face  beaming  with  pleasur- 
able emotion,  and  exclaimed  :  "  Who  could  not  con- 
quer with  such  troops  as  these?" 

Thus  always,  whatever  his  army  achieved,  his  mod- 
esty led  him  to  ascribe  it  to  his  brave  men,  feeling 
himself  to  be  but  an  humble  instrument  in  the  hand 
of  God. 

"With  such  a  leader  to  inspire  them,  Jackson's  corps 
marched  fifty  miles  in  two  days,  capturing  all  their 
supplies  from  the  enemy,  and  reached  Bristow  Station, 
by  which  they  accomplished  their  object,  that  of 
placing  themselves  between  Pope  and  Washington — 
a  perilous  position,  as  they  were  now  cut  off  from 
General  Lee,  with  the  whole  of  Pope's  army  in  their 
front.  General  Stuart,  with  his  cavalry,  was  guard- 
ing the  right  flank,  and  his  promptness  and  efficiency 
were  invaluable  to  Jackson,  enabling  him  to  carry  out 
his  plans  of  secrecy  and  rapidity  of  movement.  Upon 
arriving  at  Pristow  Station, the  first  object  of  Jackson 
was  to  get  possession  of  the  vast  stores  of  the  enemy 
at  Manassas  Junction,  four  miles  farther  north.  So 
much  did  he  realize  this  necessity  that  he  determined 
to  press  on  that  night,  and  not  to  wait  until  morning, 
and  thus  give  the  enemy  time  to  destroy  the  stores. 
So  completely  were  his  brave  soldiers  in  sympathy 


CAPTURE  OF  ARMY   STORES.  319 

with  him  that  General  Trimble,  with  his  Twenty-first 
North  Carolina  and  Twenty-first  Georgia  regiments, 
volunteered  for  this  service,  and,  supported  by  a  de- 
tachment of  Stuart's  cavalry,  with  Stuart  himself  in 
command  of  the  whole,  the  work  was  undertaken, 
and  resulted  in  complete  success.  The  Confederates 
captured  all  the  vast  stores,  consisting  of  every- 
thing which  their  army  needed,  took  several  hundred 
prisoners,  two  hundred  and  fifty  horses,  with  im- 
mense commissary  and  quartermaster's  supplies.  To 
this  disaster  Pope  ascribed  his  defeat  in  the  three 
days'  sanguinary  struggle  which  ensued  upon  the 
plains  of  Manassas,  alleging  that  his  army  had  been 
compelled  to  fight  without  suiRcient  rations  and  am- 
munition. 

On  the  morning  of  the  27th,  Jackson  went  to  the 
relief  of  Trimble,  who  had  been  all  night  under  arms, 
taking  a  part  of  his  command,  and  leaving  the  rest  to 
watch  Pope,  with  orders  to  rejoin  him,  if  necessary, 
at  Manassas.  Almost  immediately  after  Jackson's 
arrival  upon  the  scene,  a  Federal  detachment  began 
an  attack,  but,  mistaking  the  strength  of  the  Con- 
federates, were  soon  compelled  to  retire  in  confusion. 
Their  own  guns  were  captured  and  turned  against 
them,  making  such  havoc  in  their  ranks  that  Jack- 
son's heart  was  moved  with  compassion,  and  he 
dashed  forward  alone,  at  the  risk  of  his  life,  and 
waved  a  white  handkerchief,  as  a  signal  of  truce  to 
them  to  accept  quarter.  The  reply  to  this  was  a 
volley  from  their  guns,  and,  seeing  his  offer  refused, 
he  hastened  back  to  his  men  and  ordered  them  to 
proceed  with  their  work.  The  opposing  force  was 
quickly  overcome ;    the    commander     fell    mortally 


320     LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

wounded  and  was  left  upon  the  field,  while  his  men 
were  pursued  and  scattered. 

Jackson  now  gave  his  troops  a  short  rest,  and  per- 
mitted them  to  refresh  themselves  with  the  rich  spoils 
which  they  had  captured  from  the  enemy.  As  it  was 
impossible  for  them  to  remove  all  these  vast  stores, 
the  men  were  allowed  to  help  themselves  to  all  that 
they  could  consume  and  carry  away,  and  the  remain- 
der was  destroyed,  to  prevent  its  falling  again  into  the 
hands  of  the  enemy.  The  new  clothing,  boots,  hats, 
and  tempting  eatables  were  a  rare  treat  to  the  hungry 
soldiers,  who  had  marched  twenty -five  and  thirty 
miles  a  day,  and  had  fed  principally  on  green  corn 
and  apples  gathered  by  the  way.  But  after  a  few 
hours  of  this  high  carnival,  they  had  again  to  buckle 
on  their  armor.  The  forces  which  Jackson  had  left 
at  Bristow  Station  under  Ewell  had  been  attacked, 
and  after  a  brave  resistance  had  been  withdrawn  to 
join  Jackson  at  Manassas.  This  was  in  obedience  to 
Jackson's  order,  and  was  managed  with  so  much  skill 
that  not  a  single  man  was  captured  in  the  retreat ; 
the  stream  separating  Bristow  from  Manassas  was 
safely  crossed,  and  the  railroad  bridge  was  burned. 
One  division  Avas  sent  that  night  across  the  Warrenton 
and  Alexandria  Turnpike,  and  lialted  near  the  battle- 
field of  the  first  Manassas.  The  next  morning,  the  2Sth, 
the  two  remaining  divisions,  after  marcliing  in  differ- 
ent directions,  joined  the  first,  and  Stuart's  cavalry, 
after  making  a  circuit  as  far  as  Fairfax  Court-IIouse, 
was'  also  brought  up  on  the  flanks  of  the  infantry, 
and  the  whole  command  was  now  concentrated  north 
of  the  Warrenton  Turnpike.  The  left  wing  rested  on 
Bull  Run,  tlie  right  extended  towards  the  road  lead- 


LONGSTREET   COMING   TO   HIS  SUPPORT.  321 

ing  from  Thoroughfare  Gap,  through  which  Long- 
street,  with  his  corps,  was  expected  to  come  up  to 
the  support  of  Jackson. 

Thus  far  Jackson  had  been  entirely  successful  in 
executing  the  instructions  of  General  Lee  in  placing 
his  corps  between  Pope  and  the  Federal  capital,  but 
his  position  was  becoming  more  and  more  critical ;  for 
if  Longstreet,  b}'  any  reason,  should  fail  in  coming  up 
to  time,  there  was  danger  of  Jackson's  small  army 
of  only  eighteen  thousand  men  being  crushed  by  the 
sheer  weight  of  the  greatly  superior  numbers  of  the 
whole  Federal  army,  which  he  had  drawn  upon 
himself  through  his  daring  and  rapid  movement. 
Scarcely  had  he  completed  the  disposition  of  his 
troops,  when  the  enemy  were  discovered  to  be  advanc- 
ing along  the  Warrenton  turnpike  in  heavy  force. 
Suspecting  that  they  might  be  retreatmg  to  Alex- 
andria to  avoid  an  engagement,  Jackson  determined 
to  attack  them,  even  at  the  risk  of  his  own  safety. 
He  had  no  idea  of  letting  the  enemy  escape  him,  and 
he  lost  no  time  in  striking  them  on  the  flank  as  they 
passed,  thereb\"  arresting  their  march  and  compelling 
them  to  come  to  a  stand.  The  Confederate  batteries, 
having  an  elevated  position,  opened  such  a  fierce 
cannonade  that  the  enemy  were  forced  to  return  it, 
and  a  short  time  before  sunset  a  furious  and  bloody 
battle  began,  and  continued  until  about  nine  o'clock, 
when  the  enemv  retired  under  cover  of  darkness, 
leaving  the  field  in  the  possession  of  the  Confederates. 
In  this  engagement  two  of  General  Jackson's  major- 
generals,  Ewell  and  Taliaferro,  were  wounded  ;  the 
former  losing  a  leg,  but  he  was  subsequently  able  to 
resume  his  command. 
21 


322  LIFE   OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

On  the  morning  of  the  29th  Jackson  discovered  that 
the  enemy  were  preparing  to  give  battle,  and,  if  possi- 
ble, crush  him  before  he  could  receive  reinforcements. 
To  both  officers  and  men  the  danger  of  their  situation 
was  so  imminent  that  all  e3^es  were  anxiously  turned 
towards  Thoroughfare  Gap,  to  see  Longstreet  coming 
to  their  relief.  Early  in  the  morning  clouds  of  dust  in 
that  direction  raised  their  hopes,  but  it  proved  to  be  a 
body  of  the  enemy  who  had  occupied  that  pass  the 
day  before  for  the  purpose  of  intercepting  Longstreet's 
passage,  and  were  now  retiring  to  Bristow.  At  ten 
o'clock  Jackson's  right  flank  was  attacked  by  a  heavy 
cannonade  from  the  enemy's  batteries,  which  was  re- 
turned with  ])romptness  and  spirit.  A  general  and 
terrible  conflict  now  threatened,  and  Jackson's  lines, 
though  thinned  by  battle  and  almost  exhausted  by 
their  extraordinary  exertions,  yet  stood  heroically  at 
bay.  Soon,  however,  their  anxious  hopes  were  real- 
ized when  Stuart's  couriers  came  dashing  up  and  an- 
nounced the  approach  of  Longstreet.  Already  great 
clouds  of  dust  were  seen  arising  over  Thoroughfare 
Gap,  and  the  expected  troops,  stimulated  by  tlit^  sound 
of  the  cannonading,  were  hurrying  foi-ward  to  tiie 
relief  of  their  struggling  comrades.  Stuart  conducted 
them  in  safety  to  Jackson,  and  the  union  of  the  two 
corps  was  eff'ected,  and  infused  new  life  and  spirit 
into  the  whole  Confederate  ranks.  After  Longstreet's 
arrival,  the  enemy  changed  position,  and  the  battle 
continued  for  many  hours  with  stubborn  and  relent- 
less fury  on  both  sides.  The  Federals  (lis])layed  great 
valor,  six  times  rushing  forward  in  sepai'atc  and  deter- 
mined assaults,  but  were  each  time  repulsed.  About 
two  o'clock  thev  hurled  their  masses  of  iiilanli'v  with 


SECOND   DAY   OF   THE   BATTLK.  323 

perfect  desperation  against  Jackson's  wing,  but,  as  line 
after  line  advanced  to  close  quarters,  it  was  only  to 
be  mowed  down  and  driven  back  in  dismay  and  con- 
fusion. The  conflict  raged  until  many  of  the  Confed- 
erate infantry  had  exhausted  their  cartridges  ;  but  they 
declared  they  would  hold  their  position  with  the  bay- 
onet, and  some  of  them  did  thus  hold  it,  while  others 
seized  the  stones  of  the  field  and  fought  with  them. 
While  Jackson's  corps  was  struggling  against  these 
furious  onslaughts,  Longstreet  was  engaged  in  equally 
severe  and  bloody  work  in  resisting  the  forces  that 
were  bi'ought  against  him.  The  army  of  Pope  was 
reinforced  by  a  corps  of  McClellan  from  the  Penin- 
sula, and  with  this  new  enemv  Longstreet  was  eng-a^ed 
until  nine  o'clock  at  night,  driving  back  his  assailants 
and  capturing  a  number  of  prisoners  and  trophies. 
Darkness  then  closed  this  second  day  of  carnage,  and 
the  weary  Confederates  slept  upon  their  arms,  in  pos- 
session of  the  lines  which  they  had  so  gallantl}^  held. 

That  night,  when  Jackson  and  his  staff  came  together 
for  a  few  hours'  sleep  under  the  o]->en  sky,  their  pale 
faces  did  not  indicate  the  success  of  the  da}',  for  their 
hearts  were  heavy  with  sorrow  at  the  fall  of  many  of 
the  best  and  bravest  of  their  army,  and  around  them, 
in  the  darkness,  lay  the  wounded  and  dying.  "Wearied 
and  sad,  they  spoke  but  little  beyond  inquiries  and 
remarks  concerning  the  occurrences  of  this  event- 
ful day.  The  medical  director,  Doctor  McGuire,  in 
speaking  of  the  terrible  conflict,  said  :  ''  General,  this 
day  has  been  won  by  nothing  but  stark  and  stern  fight- 
ing." "No,"  replied  Jackson,  "it  has  been  won  by 
nothing  but  the  blessing  and  protection  of  Provi- 
dence."    After  the  fatigues  and  horrors  of  the  day 


324  LIFE   OF   GENERAL   THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

were  over,  the  chaplains,  who  had  occupied  themselves 
in  caring  for  the  wounded,  collected  in  groups  all  the 
men  that  could  be  found  off  duty,  and  led  them  in 
prayer  and  praise  to  the  Captain  of  their  salvation. 
Before  another  sun  had  set,  many  of  these  worshippers 
were  among  the  throng  around  the  great  white  throne. 

General  Lee,  having  arrived  with  Longstreet  upon 
the  scene  of  action,  the  morning  of  the  30th  found  the 
commander-in-chief  at  the  head  of  his  army,  upon  the 
ground  which  his  subordinates  had  so  stoutly  held 
against  all  the  assaults  of  the  previous  day,  and  calm- 
ly awaiting  the  attack.  Jackson  held  the  left  wing, 
Longstreet  the  right,  and  the  artdlery  occupied  an  ele- 
vated ridge  in  the  centre,  commanding  the  fronts  of 
both  wings. 

The  Confederates  stood  solely  upon  the  defensive, 
and  possessed  such  advantages  in  position  that  it  might 
be  said  the  battle  was  won  before  it  was  fought.  The 
Federals  showed  their  wisdom  in  delaying  hostilities 
until  late  in  the  afternoon.  The  morning  was  marked 
by  only  an  occasional  cannonade  u])on  different  por- 
tions of  the  Confederate  lines,  with  slight  skirmishes, 
and  the  great  attack  was  not  made  until  four  o'clock. 
Then  the  struggle  began  in  earnest  —  the  Federals 
making  a  most  gallant  charge — three  lines  advancing 
in  dense  masses,  and  (hishing  like  great  billows  against 
their  opponents.  As  each  line  recoiled  before  the 
murderous  fire  with  which  it  was  met,  another  fol- 
lowed with  still  more  determination,  and  the  struggle 
raged  with  furious  desperation,  until  the  Confederates 
exhausted  their  ammunition. 

P'or  about  half  an  hour  the  brunt  of  tiie  battle  was 
borne  by  Jackson's  lines,  and  finding  them  wavering 


THIRD    DAY   OF   THE    I5ATTLE.  326 

at  several  points,  Longstreet  was  ordered  to  his  assist- 
ance.    But  before  the  order  was  received,  Longstreet, 
perceiving  and  embracing  an  opportunity  of  pouring 
his  artillery  into  the  advancing  ranks,  turned  the  tide 
against  them.     This  gave  the  Confederates  time  to 
rally,  and  they  dashed  forward  with  renewed  enthu- 
siasm and  vigor.     Both  of  their  wings  were  ordered 
to  close  in  u])on  the  foe,  while  the  artillery  dealt  a 
deadly  and  terrific  fire  into  his  lines,  causing  them  to 
brealv  just  as  darkness,  intensified  by  the  smoke  of 
battle  and  an  impending  storm,  gathered  over  the  ter- 
rible scene.    At  ten  o'clock  the  third  day  of  this  great 
battle  came  to  an  end,  antl  the  wearied  Confederates 
lay  down  to  seek  rest  upon  a  victorious  field,  but 
found  only  a  watery  bivouac  under  the  beating  of  a 
continuous  rain,  while  all  night  long  was  heard  the 
tramp  of  the  enemy  retreating  to  the  heights  of  Cen- 
treville. 

In  this  three  days'  battle  the  Confederate  loss  was 
very  heavy,  but  the  battle-field  revealed  the  fact  that 
that  of  the  Federals  was  far  greater.  Their  surgeons, 
under  a  flag  of  truce,  ministered  to  the  wounded, 
many  days  being  consumed  in  the  work,  and  num- 
bers of  lives  were  sacrificed  by  delay  in  receivmg 
attention.  The  estimate  was  that  in  this  series  ol 
battles  the  total  Confederate  loss  was  about  seventy- 
five  hundred  men,  eleven  hundred  of  whom  were  slain 
upon  the  field.  Jackson's  proportion  of  the  loss  in 
officers  and  men  greatly  exceeded  that  of  the  rest  of 
the  army,  in  consequence  of  his  fighting  the  first  day 
without  the  support  of  reinfoi  cements,  and  subse- 
quently the  enemy  seemed  to  select  his  lines  chiefly 
as  the  points  of  the  most  furious  attacks.     In  all  the 


326  LIFE   OF   GEN'ERAL   THOMAS  J.  JACKSON'. 

long  struggle  he  lost  only  thirty-five  men  by  capture, 
while  the  prisoners  on  the  other  side  were  estimated 
at  seven  thousand,  in  addition  to  two  thousand  left 
wounded  upon  the  battle-field.  Twenty  thousand 
small-arms,  thirty  pieces  of  artillery,  numerous  colors, 
and  a  large  amount  of  army  stores  fell  into  the  hands 
of  the  Confederates.  In  reviewing  the  whole.  Jack- 
son thus  closes  his  report : 

"  For  these  ffreat  and  signal  victories  our  sincere 
and  humble  thanks  are  due  unto  Almighty  God.  AVe 
should  in  all  things  acknowledge  the  hand  of  Ilim 
who  reigns  in  heaven  and  rules  among  the  armies  of 
men.  In  view  of  the  arduous  labors  and  great  priva- 
tions the  troops  were  called  to  endure,  and  the  isolated 
and  perilous  position  which  the  command  occu})ied 
while  engaged  with  greatly  superior  numbers  of  the 
enemy,  we  can  but  ex})ress  the  grateful  conviction 
that  God  was  with  us,  and  gave  us  the  victor}^ ;  and 
unto  His  holy  name  be  all  the  praise." 

Dr.  Dabney  says :  "  Few  words  are  needed  to  point 
out  the  share  which  Jackson  and  his  corps  merited 
in  the  glory  of  the  second  victory  of  Manassas.  To 
the  rapidity  of  his  march,  the  promptitude  and  skill 
of  his  action  in  seizing  and  destroying  the  Junc- 
tion, the  wisdom  which  guided  his  selection  of  a  posi- 
tion, and  the  heroic  tenacity  with  which  he  held  it 
against  fearful  odds  until  the  arrival  of  General  Lee, 
was  the  splendid  result  chiefly  due.  It  was  so  or- 
dered as  if  to  illustrate  the  superior  prowess  of  the 
Confederate  soldiery,  that  in  this  battle  the  positions 
of  the  combatants  in  July,  1801,  were  almost  precisely 


"GOD  GAVE  US   THE   VICTORY!"  327 

reversed.  The  ground  held  by  Jackson  in  the  second 
battle  was  that  held  by  McDowell  in  the  first ;  and 
the  ground  from  which  the  Confederates  drove  Pope 
at  nightfall,  the  30th  of  August,  was  that  from  which 
McDowell  could  not  drive  them  on  the  21st  of  July ; 
while  the  preponderance  of  numbers  was  still  upon 
the  Federal  side." 

On  the  1st  of  September  General  Jackson  wrote  to 
his  wife : 

"  "We  were  engaged  with  the  enemy  at  and  near 
Manassas  Junction  Tuesday  and  Wednesday,  and  again 
near  the  battle-field  of  Manassas  on  Thursday,  Friday, 
and  Saturday ;  in  all  of  which  God  gave  us  the  vic- 
tory. May  He  ever  be  with  us,  and  we  ever  be  His 
devoted  people,  is  my  earnest  prayer.  It  greatly  en- 
courages me  to  feel  that  so  many  of  God's  people  are 
praying  for  that  part  of  our  force  under  my  com- 
mand. The  Lord  has  answered  their  prayers  ;  He  has 
again  placed  us  across  Bull  Run ;  and  I  pray  that 
He  will  make  our  arms  entirely  successful,  and  that 
all  the  glory  will  be  given  to  His  holy  name,  and 
none  of  it  to  man.  God  has  blessed  and  preserved 
me  through  His  great  mercy.  On  Saturday,  Colonel 
Baylor  and  Hugh  White  were  both  killed,  and  Willie 
Preston  was  mortally  wounded.'' 

Hugh  White  was  the  son  of  his  pastor,  a  candidate 
for  the  ministry,  and  was  one  of  the  purest  and  no- 
blest of  characters,  as  was  also  young  Preston,  who 
combined  great  beauty  of  youthful  manhood  with 
fervent  piety  and  the  brightest  promise.     They  were 


328  LIFE  OF   GENERAL   THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

both  Lexington  boys,  from  General  Jackson's   own 
church,  and  sons  of  his  dearest  friends. 

On  the  morning  of  the  1st  of  September,  General 
Jackson's  soldiers  arose  from  the  wet  ground,  cold  and 
comfortless,  and,  after  refreshing  themselves  with  food 
and  warmth  from  camp-fires,  were  ordered  to  march. 
Longstreet  was  to  remain  to  bury  the  dead  and  gath- 
er up  the  spoils.  Stuart  reported  the  enemy  as  hav- 
ing ralUed  upon  the  heights  of  Centreville,  and  occu- 
pying a  powerful  line  of  works,  capable  of  defence 
either  in  front  or  rear,  which  General  Joseph  E. 
Johnston  had  constructed  the  first  winter  of  the  war. 
Here  Pope's  shattered  army  had  taken  refuge,  and, 
with  large  reinforcements  from  McClellan,  once  more 
presented  a  front,  and  General  Jackson  was  directed 
to  turn  their  position,  and,  if  possible,  compel  them 
to  retreat  without  a  battle.  To  accomplish  this,  he 
marched  through  circuitous  country  roads,  which 
brought  him  up  far  in  the  rear  of  Centreville.  As 
soon  as  the  enemy  ])erceived  this  unexpected  mov^e- 
ment,  they  resumed  their  retreat,  but  upon  approach- 
ing Fairfax  Court  -  House  they  found  Jackson  pre- 
pared to  attack  them.  A  sudden  and  spirited  engage- 
ment, known  as  that  of  Ox  Hill,  took  place,  the  enemy 
making  such  a  brave  and  desperate  resistance  that 
at  last  victory  seemed  almost  within  their  grasp ;  but 
after  a  short  and  bloody  struggle  the  tide  again  turn- 
ed, and  they  once  more  took  up  their  line  of  retreat, 
and  disappeared  in  the  darkness. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

MARYLAND   CAMPAIGN    AND    SHARPSBURG— 1862. 

The  invaders  had  now  retreated  in  full  force  from 
Northern  Virginia,  leaving  only  a  few  fortified  posts 
along  the  frontier,  while  the  shattered  armies  of  both 
Pope  and  McClellan  sought  shelter  in  the  strong 
fortifications  of  AV^ashington,  from  which  they  had  so 
recently  marched  in  immense  numbers  and  with 
splendid  equipment,  in  the  confident  expectation  of 
annihilating  the  Confederate  army.  Pope's  boast  had 
been  that  during  his  campaign  his  headquarters 
should  be  in  the  saddle,  and  that  he  would  subsist  his 
troops  on  the  invaded  countr}^  authorizing  them  to 
appropriate  from  the  inhabitants  all  the  horses  and 
provisions  which  they  could  make  use  of,  and  to  de- 
stroy what  they  could  not  use.  He  also  demanded 
that  all  citizens  within  his  lines  should  take  an  oath 
of  allegiance  to  the  Federal  government,  or  be  ban- 
ished South,  threatening  that  they  should  be  executed 
as  spies  in  case  of  their  return.  Fortunate  was  it  for 
the  Virg-inians  that  this  cruel  and  boastful  command- 
er  had  so  short  and  inglorious  a  reign. 

The  success  of  the  Confederates  thus  far,  with  an 
inferior  force  against  greatly  superior  numbers,  now 
emboldened  General  Lee  to  conceive  the  plan  of 
taking  the  aggressive,  and  pursuing  his  advantage 
bv  an  invasion  of  Marvland.     It  was  desirable  that 


330  LIFE   OF   GENERAL   TUOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

Virginia  should  have  a  respite  from  the  ravages  of 
the  two  great  contending  armies,  which  had  so  long 
made  it  their  field  of  battle  ;  and  as  Maryland  had 
been  a  Southern  State,  and  was  full  of  Southern 
sympathy,  it  was  hoped  that  the  appearance  of  Lee's 
army  would  stimulate  her  people  to  aid  in  achiev- 
ing independence.  From  the  beginning  of  the  war, 
many  Marylanders  had  been  in  the  Southern  army, 
and  it  had  no  braver  men  or  better  soldiers.  In 
consequence  of  its  forced  marches  and  many  hard- 
fought  battles,  it  was  poorly  equipped  for  an  invasion ; 
but  the  great  success  hitherto,  and  the  high  spirit  of 
his  men,  gave  confidence  to  their  commander,  and  the 
army  was  put  in  motion  for  the  Potomac — Jackson's 
corps  having  rested  only  one  day  after  the  battle  of 
Ox  Hill,  which  closed  with  the  night  of  September 
1st,  in  a  thunder-storm  and  deluge  of  rain.  The  first 
day  they  marched  to  Dranesville,  and  on  the  second 
reached  Leesburg. 

The  fame  of  Stonewall  Jackson  having  spread  far 
and  wide,  the  people  were  eager  to  catch  a  glimpse  of 
him  whenever  his  march  led  him  near  their  homes. 
Crowds  pressed  upon  hira,  and  ardent  admirers  would 
sometimes  throw  their  arms  round  the  neck  of  his  horse. 
Attentions  were  showered  upon  him  by  the  old  and 
young,  and  were  often  of  so  enthusiastic  a  nature  as 
to  really  eml)arrass  him.  As  an  instance  of  this,  while 
he  was  passing  through  Leesburg  a  lady  was  seen . 
standing  in  her  doorway,  who,  on  having  her  hero 
pointed  out  to  her,  ran  out  into  the  middle  of  the 
street,  and,  divesting  herself  of  a  scarf,  threw  it  before 
his  horse.  With  liis  characteristic  modesty,  he  did 
not  comprehend  that  this  was  meant  to  do  liiin  honor, 


CROSSING    THE   POTOMAC.  335 

and,  reining  up,  he  looked  with  puzzled  inquiry  first  at 
the  lady,  who  had  retired  to  the  sidewalk,  and  then 
at  the  scarf  in  front  of  his  horse's  feet.  One  of  his 
young  staff  officei's,  seeing  his  perplexity,  explained  to 
him  in  a  stage  whisper :  "  She  means  you  to  ride  over 
it,  general.'"  As  soon  as  he  understood  the  delicate 
tribute  whicli  she  intended,  he  turned  to  her  with  a 
beaming  smile,  and,  taking  off  his  cap,  gallantly  rode 
over  the  scarf. 

On  the  5th  of  September  General  Jackson's  com- 
mand crossed  the  Potomac  at  White's  Ford.  The 
river  here  is  only  about  half  a  mile  wide,  and  having  a 
level  and  pebbly  bottom,  from  two  to  three  feet  deep, 
the  infantry  were  able  to  ford  the  stream.  As  the 
troops  came  in  sight  of  the  river,  they  quickened  their 
steps,  and  as  line  after  line  planted  their  feet  upon 
Maryland  soil,  they  rent  the  air  with  enthusiastic 
cheers. 

As  soon  as  they  had  crossed,  the  first  work  to  be 
done  was  to  destroy  the  locks  of  the  canal,  thus  drain- 
ing off  its  waters  and  preventing  its  navigation.  On 
the  6th  the  army  occupied  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio 
Railroad  and  entered  Frederick  City.  Here  a  Mary- 
land gentleman  welcomed  General  Jackson  by  pre- 
senting him  with  a  superb  horse,  and  a  few  hundred 
3^oung  men  joined  the  ranks  of  the  Southern  army. 
Just  as  soon  as  his  troops  became  the  invaders,  he 
issued  the  most  stringent  orders  against  straggling, 
depredation  upon  ])roperty,  and  every  species  of  rapine 
or  trespass,  and  his  well-disci])lined  soldiers  proved 
their  obedience  by  a  respect  for  private  rights  and 
a  magnanimous  forbearance  that  were  in  striking 
contrast  with  the  conduct  of  the  Federal  army  while 


332  LIFE    OF   GENERAL  THOMAS   J.  JACKSON. 

in  Yirsfinia.  At  Frederick,  Jackson  rested  with  his 
troops  four  days,  and  the  day  after  his  arrival  being 
the  Sabbath,  he  attended  divine  worship.  It  was  a 
noteworthy  fact  that  the  people  of  the  place  attended 
their  various  churches  with  as  much  freedom  and  se- 
curity as  if  they  were  not  within  the  lines  of  an  in- 
vading army.  Of  the  service  he  wrote  to  his  wife  the 
next  day,  September  Sth  : 

..."  Last  evening  I  attended  a  German  Reformed 
church  in  Frederick  City.  I  was  not  quite  near 
enough  to  hear  all  the  sermon  [his  modesty  had  led 
him  to  take  a  back  seat],  and  I  regret  to  say  fell 
asleep;  but  had  I  been  near  enough  to  hear,  would 
probably  not  have  been  so  unfortunate.  The  minister 
is  a  gifted  one,  and  the  building  beautiful.  The  pews 
are  arranged  m  a  circular  form,  so  that  every  person 
faces  the  pulpit.  The  town  appears  to  be  a  charming 
place,  neat  and  beautiful.  The  ladies  and  gentlemen 
were  sitting  in  front  of  the  doors,  and  all  looked  so 
comfortable,  and  I  may  say  elegant,  according  to  my 
ideas,  and  their  enjoyment  looked  so  genuine,  that 
my  heart  was  in  sympathy  Avith  the  surroundings. 
If  such  scenes  could  only  surround  me  in  Lexington, 
how  my  heart  would,  under  a  smiling  Providence, 
rejoice !" 

Whittier's  celebrated  war  poem,  "  Barbara  Friet- 
chie,"  claims  to  be  founded  upon  an  incident  which 
was  supposed  to  have  taken  place  upon  the  entrance 
of  General  Jackson  with  his  troops  into  Frederick 
City.  The  story  is  best  told  in  the  poet's  own  melo- 
dious language,  the  part  relating  to  General  Jackson 
and  his  troops  only  being  quoted  : 


"BARBARA   FRIETCHIE."  333 

"  On  that  pleasant  morn  of  the  early  fall 
When  Lee  marched  over  the  mountain  wall- 
Over  the  mountains  winding  down, 
Horse  and  foot,  into  Frederick  town — 
Forty  flags  with  their  silver  stars, 
Forty  flags  with  their  crimson  bars, 
Flapped  in  the  morning  wind  :  the  sun 
Of  noon  looked  down,  and  saw  not  one. 
Up  rose  old  Barbara  Frietchie  then. 
Bowed  with  her  fourscore  years  and  ten  ; 
Bravest  of  all  in  Frederick  town. 
She  took  up  the  flag  tiie  men  hauled  down: 
In  her  attic  window  the  staff"  she  set, 
To  show  one  heart  was  loyal  yet. 
Up  the  street  came  the  rebel  tread, 
Stonewall  Jackson  riding  ahead. 

Under  his  slouched  hat,  left  and  right 
He  glanced  ;  the  old  flag  met  his  sight. 
'  Halt !' — tiie  dust-brown  ranks  stood  fast. 
'  Fire !'— out  blazed  the  rifle  blast ; 
It  shivered  the  window,  pane  and  sash ; 

It  rent  the  banner  with  seam  and  gash. 

Quick,  as  it  fell  from  the  broken  staff", 

Dame  Barliara  snatched  the  silken  scarf; 
She  leaned  far  out  on  the  window-sill. 

And  shook  it  forth  witli  a  royal  will. 

'Shoot,  if  you  must,  this  old  gray  head, 

But  spare  your  country's  flag,'  she  said. 

A  shade  of  sadness,  a  blush  of  shame, 

Over  the  face  of  the  leader  came ; 

The  nobler  nature  within  him  stirred 

To  life  at  that  woman's  deed  and  word  : 

'  Who  touches  a  hair  of  yon  gray  head 

Dies  like  a  dog  !    March  on  !'  he  said. 
****** 

Honor  to  her  !  and  let  a  tear 

Fall,  for  her  sake,  on  Stonewall's  bier." 

Alas  for  the  poet !  that  rude  hands  should  have  to 


334     LIFE  OF  GENEKaL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

sweep  away  this  graphic  picture,  which  his  many  ad- 
mirers have  so  long  regarded  as  drawn  from  life  ;  but 
I  have  been  told  by  members  of  General  Jackson's 
staff  that  this  pretty  story  was  a  myth.  This  is  con- 
firmed by  Dame  Barbara's  own  nephew,  Valerius 
Ebert,  of  Frederick  City,  who  writes  to  a  Northern 
paper : 

..."  As  to  the  waving  of  the  Federal  flag  in  the 
face  of  the  rebels  by  Dame  Barbara  on  the  occasion 
of  Stonewall  Jackson's  march  through  Frederick, 
truth  requires  me  to  say  that  Stonewall  Jackson,  with 
his  troops,  did  not  pass  Barbara  Frietchie's  residence 
at  all ;  but  passed  through  wliat  in  this  city  is  called 
"  The  Mill  Alley,"  about  three  hundred  yards  from 
her  residence,  then  passed  due  west  towards  Antie- 
tam,  and  thus  out  of  the  city.  But  another  and  still 
stronger  fact  with  regard  to  this  matter  mav  be  here 
presented — viz. :  the  poem  by  Whittier  represents  our 
venerable  relative  (then  ninety -six  years  of  age)  as 
nimbly  ascending  to  her  attic  window  and  waving 
her  small  Federal  flag  defiantly  in  the  face  of  Stone- 
wall Jackson's  troops.  Now,  Dame  Barbara  was  at 
the  moment  bed-ridden  and  helpless,  and  had  lost 
the  power  of  locomotion.  She  could  at  that  period 
only  move,  as  she  was  moved,  by  the  help  of  her  at- 
tendants. These  are  the  facts,  proving  that  Whitticr's 
poem  upon  this  subject  is  pure  fiction." 

The  bold  step  of  General  Lee  in  the  invasion 
of  Maryland  sjiread  consternation  at  Washington  ; 
and  President  Lincoln,  realizing  the  ])arani()unt  im- 
portance of  protecting  the  capital,  no  iiiuncdiatc  ac- 


ENTHUSIASTIC   DEMONSTRATIONS.  335 

tion  was  taken  to  follow  the  invading  army.     Upon 
the    arrival    of    the    whole    Confederate    army    at 
Frederick,  General  Lee  held  a  consultation  with  his 
leading  generals  as  to  a  plan  of   future   operations. 
Although  the  mass  of  the  Federal  troops  had  retired 
to  Washington,  Harper's   Ferry  had  not  yet   been 
evacuated,  as   General  Lee  had  hoped,  and  this  en- 
dangered the  safety  of  his  army.     It  had  been  his 
design  to  proceed  with  his   command  into  Western 
Maryland,  keeping  up  his  communications  with  Rich- 
mond through  the  Shenandoah  Valley,  and  to  threaten 
Pennsylvania,  thus  hoping  to  draw  the  enemy  after 
him,  and  away  from  their  base  of  supplies.     But  with 
the  Federals  holding  Harper's  Ferry,  it  was  deemed 
necessary  to  capture  the  place  as  speedily  as  possible, 
and  General  Jackson  was  ordered  to  move  with  his 
corps  to  Martinsburg,  and  after  dislodging  the  enemy 
there  to  march  down  the  south  side  of  the  Potomac 
upon  Harper's  Ferry.     He  accordingly  left  Frederick 
on  the  10th  of  September,  and,  making  a  rapid  transit 
through  Middletown,  Boonsboro',  and  Williamsport, 
the  next  day  he  recrossed  the  Potomac,  and  was  uj)on 
his  native  soil.    Upon  hearing  of  Jackson's  approach, 
on  the   11th,  the    Federal   commander  retreated   to 
Harper's  Ferry,  and  the  next  morning  Jackson's  cav- 
alry reached  Martinsburg,  where  the  people,  equally 
astonished   and   delighted,  greeted  him   with  a  glad 
welcome ;   and,  being  once  more  in  his  beloved  val- 
ley, among  his  own  people,  his  heart  responded  with 
grateful  emotion  to  their  eager  demonstrations.    The 
ladies,  who  are  ahvays  foremost  in  doing  and  claim- 
ing honors,  beset  him  on  all  sides,  and  besought  of 
him  souvenirs— some  requesting  locks  of  his  hafr,  and 


336  LIFE   OF   GENERAL   THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

others  buttons  from  bis  coat.  He  tried  to  excuse  bim- 
self  by  telling  one  pretty  petitioner  that  she  bad  more 
bair  tban  he  had,  and  he  permitted  them  to  strip  bis 
coat  of  buttons,  but  finally  their  importunity  so 
embarrassed  him  that,  with  a  blushing  face,  he  said  : 
"  Really,  ladies,  this  is  the  first  time  I  was  ever  slir- 
rounded  by  the  enem}^"  and,  with  the  best  grace  he 
could,  he  retreated  from  the  clamorous  circle.  After- 
wards, a  considerate  young  lady  sent  him  a  present 
of  several  cards  of  military  buttons  to  replace  those 
that  had  been  cut  from  his  coat,  accompanying  the 
gift  with  a  charming  letter.  As  a  penalty  of  sharing 
his  master's  fame,  poor  "  Little  Sorrel "  lost  many 
locks  from  his  mane  and  tail. 

A  rapid  march  from  Martinsburg  brought  General 
Jackson  and  his  corps,  on  the  morning  of  the  13th  of 
September,  to  Harper's  Ferry.  In  the  space  of  three 
months  Jackson  had  swept  down  the  valley,  fought 
and  won  the  battles  of  Cross  Keys  and  Port  Republic ; 
had  marched  to  Richmond  and  borne  a  conspicuous 
part  in  the  seven  days'  battles ;  had  then  turned  north 
towards  Washington,  and  won  the  battle  of  Cedar 
Run,  and  the  second  great  struggle  upon  the  plains 
of  Manassas ;  and  now,  after  a  march  to  Frederick, 
Maryland,  returned  to  Harper's  Ferry,  thus  complet- 
ing a  circuit  so  full  of  toil,  heroism,  and  victory  as 
to  appear  almost  incredible. 

Arrived,  at  Harper's  Ferry,  General  Jackson  found 
the  enemy  in  force,  and  drawn  up  in  battle  array 
upon  Bolivar  Heights.  General  Lee,  in  liis  plan  for 
the  capture  of  the  place,  had  ordered  two  other  divi- 
sions, commanded  by  Generals  McLaws  and  AValker, 
to  approach  simultaneously  with  Jackson's  corps,  and 


CAPTURE   OF   HARPER'S  FERRY.  337 

seize  the  Maryland  Heiglits  and  Loudoun  Heights, 
which  would  surround  the  garrison  beyond  escape. 
It  was  but  one  day's  march  for  these  divisions,  while 
Jackson's  route  around  by  Martinsburg  was  a  circuit 
of  sixty  miles.  He  was  therefore  naturally  anxious 
to  ascertain  whether  they  had  arrived  at  their  respec- 
tive destinations,  and  lost  no  time  in  signalling  their 
posts,  but,  receiving  no  reph',  found  that  he  was  in 
advance  of  them.  He  then  sent  couriers  to  the  heights, 
who  returned  during  the  night  with  the  intelligence 
that  both  generals  had  executed  their  movements, 
and  were  in  possession  of  the  two  heights.  The 
Federals  were  now  encompassed  on  every  side.  On 
the  morning  of  the  14th,  Jackson  established  com- 
munication with  McLaws  and  Walker,  and,  as  the 
ranking  officer,  directed  the  plan  of  operations  for 
the  capture  of  Harper's  Ferry. 

After  cutting  roads,  with  great  labor,  by  which 
artillery  could  be  taken  up  to  the  heights,  the  Con- 
federates poured  shot  and  shell  upon  the  enemy, 
producing  great  dismay  and  the  wildest  confusion. 
However,  they  still  had  one  loop-hole  of  escape,  for 
the  Confederate  artillery  could  not  dislodge  the  troops 
that  occupied  the  main  line  upon  Bolivar  Heights, 
and  here  there  was  a  chance  of  McClellan's  coming 
to  their  relief.  So  it  fell  to  Jackson's  corps  to  deal 
the  finishing  stroke,  in  frustrating  this  forlorn  hope, 
which  was  accomplished  by  moving  in  the  darkness 
of  night,  screened  by  the  ravines  along  the  river,  and 
getting  in  the  enemy's  rear.  To  make  assurance 
doubly  sure,  he  planted  eleven  pieces  of  artillery 
across  the  Shenandoah  to  intercept  egress  or  ingress, 
thus  destroying  every  chance  of  escape  or  relief.  The 
22 


338     LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

morning  of  the  15th  found  the  assailants  eager  to  re- 
new the  attack,  and  Jacivson  ordered  all  the  batteries 
to  open  at  once.  A  furious  cannonade  thus  began, 
when  after  about  an  hour's  resistance  on  the  part  of 
the  garrison,  a  white  flag  was  seen  to  be  lifted  aloft, 
and  the  tempest  of  battle  at  once  ceased.  The  enemy 
had  surrendered — with  a  garrison  of  eleven  thousand 
men,  over  sixty  pieces  of  artillery,  thirteen  thousand 
stand  of  small-arms,  great  numbers  of  horses  and 
wagons,  and  vast  quantities  of  stores  of  every  descrip- 
tion. The  garrison  was  treated  on  the  most  liberal 
terms.  The  officers  were  permitted  to  retain  their 
side-arms  and  all  their  personal  effects,  upon  their 
parole  ;  and  wagons  and  horses  were  also  loaned  them 
to  remove  their  baggage  into  the  Federal  lines.  The 
privates  also,  after  being  disarmed,  were  released  on 
parole. 

"Writing  to  his  wife.  General  Jackson  says : 

"  It  is  my  grateful  privilege  to  write  that  our  God 
has  given  us  a  brilliant  victory  at  Harper's  Ferry 
to-day.  Probably  nearly  eleven  thousand  prisoners, 
a  great  number  of  small  -  arms,  and  over  sixty  piece's 
of  artillery  are,  through  God's  blessing,  in  our  posses- 
sion. Tiie  action  commenced  yesterchiy,  and  ended 
this  morning  in  the  capitulation.  Our  Heavenly 
Father  blesses  us  exceedingly.  I  am  thankful  to  say 
that  our  loss  was  small,  and  Joseph  and  myself  were 
mercifully  protected  from  harm." 

When  General  Lee  sent  the  forces  under  Jackson 
from  Frederick  to  reduce  Harper's  Ferr}'^.  he  started 


McCLELLAN'S   ARMY    ArPKOAClIINC;.  339 

the  remaining  part  of  his  command  in  other  direc- 
tions,  and   in    the    meantime    the    situation    of    the 
Confederates   in  Maryland  assumed  a  grave  aspect. 
McClellan's  grand  army  entered  Frederick  the  day 
after  General  Lee  evacuated  it,  and  unfortunately  a 
copy  of  his   order   directing  the  movements  of  his 
whole  army  had  been  dropped  on  leaving  the  town, 
and  was  picked  up  by  the  Federals,  revealing  Lee's 
]ilan  to  McClellan,  who  at  once  embraced  his  oppor- 
tunity, and  pressed  forward  in  pursuit,  before  Lee 
could   concentrate    his    scattered    troops   for    battle. 
The   Confederate    army  was  now   in   great  peril,  as 
McClellan,   with  a   full  knowledge  of  the   situation 
and    of   the    movements    of    the    Confederates,   was 
gathering  his  forces  for  a  decisive  conflict.     On  the 
13th  the  Confederate  cavalry  near  Boonsboro'  w^as 
forced   back  slowly,  and  the  command  of  General 
D.  H.  Hill,  which  had  been  sent  to  guard  the  moun- 
tain  pass  in  front  of  Boonsboro',  was   attacked   by 
overwhelming  numbers.   With  less  than  five  thousand 
men,  he  held   the  pass   for  five   hours,  repelling  re- 
peated assaults  until  Longstreet,  coming  to  their  sup- 
port in  the  afternoon,  enabled  them  to  maintain  their 
ground  until  nightfall. 

To  oppose  the  advance  of  the  enemy  more  effectu- 
ally, General  Lee  determined  to  concentrate  his  forces 
at  Sharpsburg,  and  Jaclcson  was  summoned  to  join 
him  as  speedily  as  possible.  Prompt  to  obey  the 
order,  he  did  not  wait  to  receive  the  surrender  of  the 
Federal  troo]is  at  Harper's  Ferry,  but  left  that  duty 
to  General  A.  P.  II ill.  With  the  rest  of  his  com- 
mand he  took  up  his  march  by  way  of  Shepherds- 
town.  Generals  Walker  and  McLaws  having  orders 


340  LIFE  OF   GEXERAL   THOMAS   J.  JACKSOX. 

to  follow.  The  movement  of  all  the  troops,  except 
McLaws's,  which  were  harassed  and  delayed  by  the 
enemy,  was  safely  effected.  Longstreet  and  D.  H. 
Hill  arrived  at  Sharpsburg  on  the  morning  of  the 
15th,  and  their  troops  were  greatly  inspirited  by  the 
news  of  the  capture  of  Harper's  Ferry.  Sharpsburg 
is  a  little  hamlet,  situated  two  and  a  half  miles  from 
the  Potomac  and  one  mile  from  Antietam  Creek. 
In  the  Federal  accounts  this  creek  gave  name  to  the 
battle,  which  is  always  spoken  of  as  the  Battle  of 
Antietam.  Sharpsburg  itself  is  remarkable  only  for 
its  intersection  of  six  roads,  which  afforded  facilities 
for  the  concentration  of  Lee's  divided  army.  The 
country  is  elevated  and  undulating,  and  presented  a 
good  defensive  position,  and  here  General  Lee  made 
his  dispositions  to  meet  the  advance  of  the  enemy  on 
the  15th  of  September;  but  the  latter  made  only  re- 
connoissances  on  that  day.  However,  on  the  next 
morning,  the  16th,  their  batteries  opened  fire,  and 
their  swaying  multitudes  indicated  that  a  great  battle 
had  begun.  It  was  about  noon  Avhen  Jackson  arrived 
on  the  held,  and,  after  a  brief  rest  for  his  Avearied 
troops,  took  his  position,  wliicli  was  one  of  great 
exposure  and  danger.  With  tlie  approach  of  evening, 
both  the  Federal  artillery  and  infantry  fiercel}^  assailed 
the  Confederates  under  the  command  of  General 
Hood,  whose  left  Jackson  was  ordered  to  support. 
This  assault  continued  late  into  the  night,  but  was 
gallantly  repelled,  and  the  two  hostile  armies  slept 
upon  their  arms  to  be  ready  to  renew  the  bloody  con- 
flict in  the  morning.  Even  their  hours  of  repose  were 
disturbed  by  a  continual  dropping  fire. 

A  splendid  autumn  morning  had  scarcely  dawned. 


THE   BATTLE   OF   SlIARPSBURG.  341 

on  the  17th,  when  its  brilhant  beams  were  obscured 
by  the  smoke  of  terrific  volleys  from  the  whole  Fed- 
eral line  of  artillery— the  heaviest  fire  falling  upon 
the  Confederate  left  held  by  Jackson— an  attack  which 
was  soon  supported  by  infantry  advancing  in  great 
force.     The  overwhelming  numbers  were   met  Avith 
unflinching  bravery  and  resolution,  and   for  several 
hours  the  unequal  combat  raged  with  unceasing  vio- 
lence and  varying  fortune.     Many  of  the  Confederate 
field  officers  were  killed  and  wounded,  and  their  whole 
line  rapidly  thinned  under  the  murderous  fire  of  the 
tremendous  odds  against  them  ;  still  they  fought  with 
unconquerable  tenacity,  repeatedly  breaking  the  ranks 
of  the  enemy,  and,  although   forced  back  by  sheer 
weight  of  numbers,  they  turned  at  every  favorable 
position  to  make  a  stand,  and  retired  to  the  best  ad- 
vantage, when  Jackson,  still  undaunted,  ordered  Early 
and  Hood  to  gather  up  the  fragments  of  the  shattered 
troops  and  return  to  the  front  to  relieve  those  who 
were  there  so  sorely  pi-essed.     Nobly  did  they  exe- 
cute their  commission,  and,  rushing  forward  against 
the  surging  masses  of  the  enemy,  succeeded  in  arrest- 
ing the  tide  of  battle.     For  hours  they  resisted  far 
greater  numbers,  and  finally  drove  them  back,  and  re- 
established the  Confederate  lines.     lAfost  opportunely, 
at  this  juncture,  General  McLaws,  with  his  division' 
arrived  upon  the  field,  and  with  his  prompt  co-opera- 
tion and  the  strenuous  efforts  of  other  commanders  the 
victorious  enemy  were  checked  ;  their  lines  began  to 
waver,  and  they  retreated  half  a  mile  with  great  loss. 
General  Jackson  was  now  enabled  to  re-establish  the 
whole  of  his  line ;  but  the  Federals,  though  withdraw- 
ing their  infantry,  still  rained  down  a  furious  artillery 


342  LIFE   OF   GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

fire  the  remainder  of  the  day ;  but  Jackson's  troops, 
now  in  a  more  sheltered  position,  suffered  little  loss. 
The  Federal  troops  returned  again  to  attack  the  Con- 
federate right  and  centre,  but  were  again  repulsed. 
Unfortunately,  however,  they  discovered  that  one  of 
the  brigades  opposed  to  them  had  been  withdrawn 
from  its  position,  and  immediately  pressed  forward 
through  the  breach  thus  made,  and  pierced  the  Con- 
federate lines.  General  D.  II.  Hill  and  other  officers 
rallied  the  remnants  of  several  scattered  brigades,  and 
with  four  pieces  of  artillery,  supported  by  only  a  few 
hundred  bayonets,  arrested  the  vast  masses  of  the  ene- 
my. This  small  force  (some  of  whom  had  fired  every 
cartridge,  and  could  trust  only  to  the  bayonet)  pre- 
sented a  bold  front,  until  two  other  batteries  came  to 
their  relief ;  and  after  a  desperate  and  determined  re- 
sistance of  an  hour  or  so,  the  Federals  retired. 

Notwithstanding  the  most  stubborn  and  determined 
defence  of  the  bridge  over  the  Antietam,  it  was  at 
last  gained  by  the  Federals,  who  crossed  over  in  im- 
mense numbers  and  attacked  Lons:street's  rig-ht,  which 
commanded  the  approaches.  A  few  hundred  yards 
adv'^ance  would  have  given  them  possession  of  the  roads 
leading  from  Sharpsburg  to  tlie  Potomac,  which  were 
saved  only  by  the  timely  ai'rival,  from  Harper's  Ferry, 
of  A.  P.  Hill  and  liis  division,  which  came  at  once  to 
the  support  of  Longsti'eet,  and  attacked  the  Federals 
who,  Hushed  with  expectant  victor}^  had  become  dis- 
ordered by  a  too  ra])id  and  eager  advance.  After 
crossing  the  bridge,  a  triple  line  of  the  enemy  dashed 
forward,  ca])tured  a  battery,  and  almost  gained  the 
crest  of  the  wave  of  success,  when  they  were  checked 
by  Hill's  batteries  and  others  in  different  ])ositions. 


GKNEKAL  LEE  RETREATS  ACROSS  THE  POTOMAC.  343 

the  effect  of  whose  concentrated  fire  was  to  drive  the 
enemy  back  across  the  creek,  and  the  Confederates 
recaptured  the  lost  battery.  The  shadows  of  night 
now  gathered  over  the  scene,  closing  one  of  the  most 
desperate  and  hard-fought  battles  of  the  war. 

"  During  this  terrible  conflict.  General  Jackson,"  so 
writes  Dr.  Dabney,  his  former  chief-of -staff,  "  exposed 
his  life  with  his  accustomed  imperturbable  bravery, 
riding  among  his  batteries  and  directing  their  fire, 
and  communicating  his  own  indomitable  spirit  to  his 
men.  Yet  he  said  to  a  Christian  comrade  that  on  no 
day  of  battle  had  he  ever  felt  so  calm  an  assurance 
that  he  should  be  preserved  from  all  personal  harm 
througli  the  })rotection  of  his  Heavenly  Father." 

In  his  report  of  this  battle  of  Sharpsburg,  General 
Lee  gives  the  following  picture  of  his  army :  "  The 
arduous  service  in  which  our  troops  had  been  engaged, 
their  great  privations  of  rest  and  food,  and  the  long 
marches,  without  shoes,  over  mountain  roads,  had 
greatly  reduced  our  ranks  before  the  action  began. 
These  causes  had  compelled  thousands  of  brave  men 
to  absent  themselves,  and  many  more  had  done  so 
from  unworthy  motives.  This  great  battle  was  fought 
b}'  less  than  forty  thousand  men  on  our  side,  all  of 
whom  had  undergone  the  greatest  labors  and  hard- 
ships in  the  field  and  on  the  march.  Nothing  could 
surpass  the  determined  valor  with  which  they  met 
the  large  army  of  the  enemy,  fully  supplied  and 
equipped,  and  the  result  reflects  the  highest  credit 
on  the  officers  and  men  enorag-ed." 

The  18th  was  devoted  by  both  armies  to  burying 
their  dead  and  removing  their  wounded.  On  that 
day  General  Lee  discovered  that  McClellan  was  ex- 


344  LIFE   OF   GENERAL   THOMAS   J.  JACKSON. 

pecting  a  large  reinforcement  of  fresh  troops,  and,  in 
view  of  the  exhausted  condition  of  his  own  forces, 
determined  not  to  risk  another  battle,  and  therefore 
withdrew  them  to  Virginia,  lie  took  with  him  all 
his  wounded  who  could  bear  removal,  not  leaving  be- 
hind an  efficient  man  or  a  single  gun.  General  Jack- 
son was  intrusted  with  the  rear-guard,  and,  sitting  on 
his  horse  in  the  middle  of  the  Potomac,  for  hours  he 
watched  the  passage  of  the  troops  across  the  stream. 
Not  until  he  had  seen  the  last  man  and  the  last  gun 
safely  upon  the  Virginia  side  did  he  cross  over  him- 
self. He  then  marched  his  command  four  miles,  and 
encamped  near  Martinsburg.  General  Pendleton,  with 
thirty  pieces  of  artiller}?^,  was  posted  upon  an  eleva- 
tion overlooking  the  river,  in  order  to  prevent  the 
Federals  from  crossing  in  pursuit.  Meanwhile  the 
alertness  of  the  enemy  resulted  in  an  advance  in  con- 
siderable force,  which  planted  their  guns  on  the  oppo- 
site shore.  During  the  night  a  detachment  crossed 
the  river,  and,  completely  surprising  the  Confeder- 
ates, captured  nearly  all  of  their  guns.  General  Pen- 
dleton, at  midnight,  reported  to  General  Jackson 
(what  he  then  believed  to  be  true)  that  they  had  lost 
every  gun !  It  is  said  the  news  of  this  appalling  dis- 
aster caused  Jackson  more  anxiety  than  he  had  ever 
shown  before  during  the  war.  He  immediate!}'  gave 
orders  to  effect  the  recovery  of  the  captured  guns,  and 
started  alone  towards  Boteler's  Ford,  which  was  a 
little  below  the  position  lost  by  Pendleton,  having 
ordered  his  troo[)s  to  follow  him  without  delay,  lie 
was  soon  found  by  General  Lee's  couriers,  without 
escort,  far  in  advance  of  his  troops,  examming  the 
position  of  the  enemy.     The  gallant  A.  P.  Hill  ar- 


FATIGUE   OF   HIS   RAPID   MARCHES.  345 

rived  first  upon  the  ground,  and,  spreading  out  his 
division  into  two  lines,  charged  with  great  spirit,  re- 
gardless of  the  storm  of  shot  and  shell  from  the 
guns  across  the  river.  The  enemy  resisted  by  bear- 
ing heavily  down  against  Hill's  left ;  but,  rallying  his 
whole  force,  he  made  a  second  charge,  and,  sweeping 
down  the  hill,  forced  the  enemy  into  the  river,  and, 
as  he  continued  to  fire  upon  them,  but  few  reached  the 
northern  shore. 

"While  Jackson  was  watching  this  night  engage- 
ment, a  second  messenger  from  General  Lee  ap- 
proached him  for  information,  and  the  only  remark 
he  made  was,  "  With  the  blessing  of  Providence,  they 
will  soon  be  driven  back."  In  this  contest  the  Con- 
federates fought  entirely  without  artillery,  employing 
only  the  musket  and  bayonet.  This  brilliant  affair 
Avas  known  as  that  of  Boteler's  Ford. 

In  this  arduous  campaign  not  one  of  Jackson's  sol- 
diers in  the  ranks  endured  more  fatigue  than  he,  and 
the  mental  strain  was  even  more  wearing  upon  Jiira. 
In  his  rapid  marches  he  sometimes  was  so  over))ow- 
ered  by  sleep  that  he  could  not  resist  it  even  when 
riding,  and  members  of  his  staff  found  it  necessary  to 
support  him  in  the  saddle  for  fear  of  his  falling.  Sev- 
eral times  he  dismounted,  and,  leaning  his  head  on  a 
fence,  and  resting  his  outstretched  arms  upon  it,  would 
sleep  for  only  five  or  ten  minutes,  having  asked  his 
staff  to  awaken  him  if  he  slept  longer.  He  would  not 
trust  himself  to  lie  down,  lest  his  slumber  might  prove 
so  profound  as  to  render  it  difficult  to  arouse  him. 

An  incident  which  occurred  about  the  close  of  this 
campaign  illustrates  his  kindness  of  heart.  An  old 
woman  called   at   his   headquarters,  and,  to   the    no 


348  I^IFE   OF   GENERAL   THOMAS   J.  JACKSON. 

small  amusement  of  the  young  staff-officers,  said  she 
had  come  to  see  her  son  John,  who  was  with  "  Jack- 
son's Company."  She  was  much  surprised  that  they 
could  not  tell  her  where  John  was,  for  he  had  been 
with  "  Jackson's  Company  "  in  all  the  battles.  Her  per- 
sistency somewhat  annoyed  the  young  men  ;  but  when 
Jackson  came  in  and  heard  her  simple  story,  he  lis- 
tened with  as  much  politeness  as  if  she  were  a  grand 
lady,  and  after  gently  reproving  the  young  men  for 
laughing  at  her,  he  ordered  that  every  company  in  his 
corps  should  be  searched  for  "  John,"  wiio  was  at  last 
found,  to  the  inexpressible  delight  of  his  loving  old 
mother. 

The  general's  next  letter  to  his  wife  is  dated 

"  Bunker  Hill,  Oct.  6th. 
"  I  am  glad  that  you  w^ere  privileged  to  keep  Thanks- 
giving Day.  We  did  not  enjoy  that  blessing,  I  regret 
to  say.  I  trust  it  was  generally  observed,  and  that 
rich  blessings  may  flow  from  it  through  our  ever-kind 
Heavenly  Father.  I  also  hope  that  on  that  day  large 
contributions  were  made  to  our  Bible  Society.  You 
and  I  have,  as  you  say,  special  reason  for  gratitude  to 
God  for  His  goodness  and  mercy  to  us.  .  .  .  The  citi- 
zens of  Frederick  did  not  present  me  the  horse,  as  w^as 
published,  though  a  Marylander  gave  me  a  fine-look- 
ing animal,  possessed  of  great  muscle  and  fine  powers 
of  endurance ;  but  he  was  not  gentle,  and  of  this  the 
donor  notified  me.  Notwithstanding  the  notice,  I 
mounted  and  rode  him  that  evening,  and  he  did  well. 
The  next  morning,  however,  when  T  attempted  again 
to  ride  him,  he  reared  u})  and  fell  back  with  me,  hurt- 
ing me   considerably.     Miss   Osbourn,  of  Jefferson, 


A   FEW   WEEKS   OF   REST.  347 

sent  me  some  excellent  socks,  and  a  beautiful  scarf, 
which  I  wish  my  darling  had.  Our  friend,  Mrs.  Gra- 
ham, of  Winchester,  sent  me  two  nice  sponge-cakes 
last  week,  and  a  Mr.  Yilwig,  of  the  same  place,  sent 
me  an  excellent  arm-chair  for  camp  use.  I  wish  I 
could  keep  it  until  the  close  of  the  war,  as  I  think  my 
esposa  would  enjoy  it.  You  are  earnestly  remembered 
in  my  prayers." 

A  cessation  of  hostilities  for  a  few  weeks  now  crave 
the  march-worn  army  of  Northern  Virginia  a  needed 
and  grateful  rest.  Encamped  on  the  banks  of  the 
Opequon,  they  literally  revelled  in  their  repose,  in  the 
beauties  and  delights  of  an  unsurpassed  autumn,  and, 
above  all,  in  the  opportunity  of  refreshing  the  inner 
man,  which  was  afforded  by  the  productive  farms  of 
the  valley.  In  the  rich  meadows  and  pastures  their 
horses  also  luxuriated  and  recruited  strength.  Never 
were  the  sweets  of  rest  and  plenty  more  enjoyed  by 
man  and  beast.  The  admiration  and  devotion  of  Gen- 
eral Jackson's  men  had  greatly  intensified  during  this 
arduous  campaign,  and  at  his  appearance  they  never 
failed  to  yell  forth  cheers,  which  were  echoed  and  re- 
echoed by  the  more  distant  camps,  as  they  sprang  to 
their  feet,  exclaiming,  "  There  comes  old  Jack  !"  This 
season  of  repose  was  not  spent  by  their  leader  in  inac- 
tion or  idleness.  He  devoted  himself  to  reoraranizino* 
his  shattered  troops — supplying  tliem  with  shoes  and 
clothing,  and  encouraging  them  in  every  way  that  he 
could  minister  to  body  and  soul.  With  all  his  efforts, 
many  of  his  men  were  left  without  shoes ;  but  such 
was  the  magic  of  his  name  that  his  forces  increased 
rapidly  in  numbers  and  efficiency. 


348  LIFE    OF   GExXERAL   THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

On  the  11th  of  October  General  Jackson  received 
from  the  Confederate  government  his  last  promotion, 
which  was  that  of  lieutenant-general.  October  13th 
he  wrote  to  his  wife  again  from  Bunker  Hill,  in  the 
vicinity  of  Winchester : 

"  I  am  sitting  in  my  tent,  about  twelve  miles  from 
our  '  war-home,'  where  you  and  I  spent  such  a  happy 
winter.  The  weather  is  damp,  and  for  the  past  two 
days  has  been  rainy  and  chilly.  Yesterday  was  com- 
munion at  Mr.  Graham's  church,  and  he  invited  me  to 
be  present,  but  I  was  prevented  from  enjoying  that  priv- 
ilege. However,  I  heard  an  excellent  sermon  from  the 
Rev.  Dr.  Stiles.*  His  text  was  1st  Timothy,  chap,  ii., 
5th  and  6th  verses.  It  was  a  powerful  exposition  of 
the  Word  of  God;  and  when  he  came  to  the  word 
'himself  he  placed  an  emphasis  upon  it,  and  gave  it  a 
force  which  I  had  never  felt  before,  and  I  realized  that, 
truly,  the  sinner  who  does  not,  under  Gospel  privi- 
leges, turn  to  God  deserves  the  agonies  of  perdition. 
The  doctor  several  times,  in  appealing  to  the  sinner, 
repeated  the  Otli  verse — '  Who  gave  himself  a  ransom 
for  all,  to  be  testified  in  due  time.'  What  more  could 
God  do  than  to  give  hhnself  a  ransom  ?  Dr.  Stiles  is 
a  great  revivalist,  and  is  laboring  in  a  Avork  of  grace 
in  General  Ewell's  division.  It  is  a  glorious  thing  to 
be  a  minister  of  the  Gospel  of  the  Prince  of  Peace. 
There  is  no  equal  position  in  this  world. 

*  Kcv.  Joseph  C.  Stiles,  D.D.,  wlio  had  been  a  pastor  in  Rich- 
mond, from  which  he  was  called  to  New  York  to  the  iVIercer  Street 
Church,  of  which  he  was  the  pastor  for  some  years.  At  the  break- 
in<'-out  of  the  war  lie  went  South,  and  cast  in  liis  lot  with  his 
own  people. 


NOT  ANXIOUS  ABOUT  HIS  REPUTATION.     349 

"Colonel  Blanton  Duncan,  of  Kentucky,  has  pre- 
sented me  with  two  fine  field  or  marine  glasses.  He 
has  apparently  taken  a  special  interest  in  me." 

"  October  20th.  Although  I  greatly  desire  to  see 
our  much-prized  Winchester  friends,  it  has  not  been 
my  privilege  to  visit  the  town  since  last  May.  .  .  . 
Last  night  was  very  cold,  but  my  good  friend  Dr. 
Hunter  McGuire  secured  a  camp-stove  for  me,  and  in 
consequence,  to-day,  I  am  comparative] \'  quite  com- 
fortable. Don't  send  me  any  more  socks,  as  the  kind 
ladies  have  given  me  more  than  I  could  probably  wear 
out  in  two  years.  God,  through  kind  friends,  is  show- 
ering blessings  upon  me.  .  .  .  Let  the  soldiers  have  all 
your  blankets.  [This  order  was  fulfilled,  and  finally 
all  his  carpets  were  sent  to  the  army  as  covering  for 
the  suffering  soldiers.] 

"  Don't  trouble  yourself  about  representations  that 
are  made  of  your  husband.  These  things  are  earthly 
and  transitory.  There  are  real  and  glorious  blessino-s, 
I  trust,  in  reserve  for  us  beyond  this  life.  It  is  best 
for  us  to  keep  our  eyes  fixed  upon  the  throne  of  God 
and  the  realities  of  a  more  glorious  existence  beyond 
the  verge  of  time.  It  is  gratifying  to  be  beloved  and 
to  have  our  conduct  approved  b}'^  our  fellow-men,  but 
this  is  not  worthy  to  be  compared  with  the  glory  that 
is  in  reservation  for  us  in  the  presence  of  our  glorified 
Kedeemer.  Let  us  endeavor  to  adorn  tiie  doctrine  of 
Christ  our  Saviour  in  all  things,  knowing  that  there 
awaits  us  'a  far  more  exceeding  and  eternal  weiirht 
of  glory.'  I  would  not  relinquish  the  slightest  dimi- 
nution of  that  glory  for  all  this  world  can  give. 
My  prayer  is  that  such  may  ever  be  the  feeling  of 


350  LIFE  OF   GENERAL  THOMAS   J.  JACKSON. 

my  heart.  It  appears  to  me  that  it  would  be  better 
for  YOU  not  to  have  anything  written  about  me. 
Let  us  follow  the  teaching  of  inspiration  — '  Let  an- 
other man  praise  thee,  and  not  thine  own  mouth :  a 
stranger,  and  not  thine  own  lips.'  I  appreciate  the 
loving  interest  that  prompted  such  a  desire  in  my  pre- 
cious darling.  .  .  .  You  have  not  forgotten  ray  little 
intimation  that  we  might  meet  before  the  end  of  the 
year,  but  I  am  afraid  now  that  your  esposo  will  not  be 
able  to  leave  his  command.  However,  all  this  is  in 
the  hands  of  the  Most  High,  and  my  prayer  is  that 
He  will  direct  all  for  His  own  glory.  Should  I  be 
prevented  from  going  to  see  m}'-  precious  little  wife, 
and  mother  should  grow  worse,  I  wish  you  to  remain 
with  her.  In  addition  to  the  comfort  it  would  give 
her,  it  would  also  gratify  me  to  know  that  she  was 
comforted  by  your  being  with  her.  She  has  my  pray- 
ers that  it  may  please  our  Heavenly  Father  to  restore 
her  again  to  perfect  health.  Do  not  send  me  any  more 
handkerchiefs,  socks,  or  gloves,  as  I  trust  I  have  enough 
to  last  until  peace.  You  think  you  can  remember  the 
names  of  all  the  ladies  who  make  presents  to  me,  but 
you  haven't  heard  near  all  of  them.  An  old  lad}^  in 
Tennessee,  of  about  eighty  3'ears,  sent  me  a  pair  of 
socks.  A  few  days  since  a  friend  in  Winchester 
presented  me  with  a  beautiful  bridle  and  martingale 
for  a  general  officer,  according  to  the  Army  Kegula- 
tions.  Mr.  Porter,  of  Jefferson,  sent  me  a  roll  of  gray 
cloth  for  a  suit  of  clothes,  and  friends  are  continually 
sending  things  to  contribute  to  my  comfort.  I  men- 
tion all  this  merely  to  show  you  how  mucli  kindness 
has  been  shown  me,  and  to  give  you  renewed  cause 
for  gratitude.      If  I  only  had  you  with  me   in  my 


FRAGMENTS   OF   LETTERS.  351 

evenings,  it  would  be  such  a  comfort !  I  hope  it  may 
be  my  privilege  to  be  in  Winchester  this  winter.  The 
people  are  so  kind,  and  take  a  great  interest  in  my 
€S2)osita,  and  that  gratifies  me.  ...  I  am  in  a  Sibley 
tent,  which  is  of  a  beautiful  conical  shape,  and  I  am 
sure  you  would  enjoy  being  in  it  for  a  while." 

"  November  10th.  Colonel  A.  E.  Boteler  telegraphs 
me  from  Richmond  that  arrangements  are  made  for 
supplying  my  command  with  blankets.  Yesterday 
about  seventeen  hundred  and  fifty  were  distributed 
in  Winchester.  There  has  been  much  suffering  in  my 
command  for  want  of  blankets  and  shoes,  especially 
the  latter.'- 

"  November  11th.  .  .  .  Tell  Colonel  E that  I  am 

glad  to  see  he  has  so  pleasant  a  post  as  Charlotte,  and 
that  /  would  rather  be  stationed  there  [where  his 
wife  then  was]  than  anywhere  else  in  the  Confederacy. 
Colonel  Boteler  deserves  the  lasting  gratitude  of  the 
country  for  having  done  so  much  towards  clothing 
our  men." 

"  November  17th.  1  am  more  concerned  a^ain  about 
clothing,  especially  shoes  and  blankets,  than  I  expect- 
ed to  be,  from  what  I  heard.  Colonel  Boteler  is  doino^ 
much,  and  has  been  the  means  of  greatly  contributing 
to  the  comfort  of  our  men.  .  .  .  Our  gracious  Heavenly 
Father  strikingly  manifests  his  kindness  to  me  by  dis- 
posing people  to  bestow  presents  upon  me." 

He  then  gives  the  names  of  a  number  who  had  thus 
honored  him,  and  closes  by  saying : 


352     LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

"And  so  God,  my  exceeding  great  joy,  is  continu- 
ally showering  His  blessings  upon  me,  an  unwortiiy 
creature." 

November  20th  he  wrote  as  follows : 

"Don't  you  wish  you  Avere  here  in  "Winchester? 
Our  headquarters  are  about  one  hundred  yards  from 
Mr.  Graham's,  in  a  large  white  house  back  of  his,  and 
in  full  view  of  our  last  winter's  quarters,  where  my 
esjoosa  used  to  come  up  and  talk  with  me.  Wouldn't 
it  be  nice  for  3^ou  to  be  here  again  ?  but  I  don't  know 
how  long  you  could  remain.  ...  I  hope  to  have  the 
privilege  of  joining  in  prayer  for  peace  at  the  time  you 
name,  and  trust  that  all  our  Christian  people  will ;  but 
peace  should  not  be  the  chief  object  of  prayer  in  our 
country.  It  should  aim  more  especially  to  implore 
God's  forgiveness  of  our  sins,  and  make  our  people  a 
holy  people.  If  w^e  are  but  His.  all  things  shall  work 
together  for  the  good  of  our  country,  and  no  good 
thing  will  He  Avithhold  from  it." 

"  Monday.  If  you  had  been  in  "Winchester  when  I 
commenced  this  letter,  you  would  not  be  there  now, 
for  your  husband  is  no  longer  there,  but  his  heart  is 
with  his  little  darling.  "Write  to  me  at  Gordonsville, 
as  I  hope  to  be  there  by  Thursday." 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

GLIMPSES  OF  HOME   JOYS.— BIRTH  OF  A  DAUGHTER— 1862. 

It  will  now  be  a  relief  to  turn  aside  for  a  season 
from  the  horrible  pictures  of  war  which  have  been  so 
long  before  us  to  some  more  restful  and  attractive 
pages  in  the  history  of  General  Jackson's  life.  In 
order  to  do  this,  we  will  begin  by  going  back  as  far  as 
the  spring  of  1862,  and  glean  some  extracts  from  the 
letters  of  Mrs.  Graham,  of  Winchester,  in  whose  hos- 
pitable home  we  spent  the  first  Avinter  of  the  war; 
letters  written  to  me  from  time  to  time,  which  Avill 
show  how  warm  a  friendship  grew  out  of  this  associa- 
tion, and  of  which  he  was  the  chief  subject. 

The  correspondence  began  soon  after  the  first  evac- 
uation of  Winchester  by  the  Confederates,  dating  from 
the  3d  of  April,  1862. 

"Mydeae  Friend, —  .  .  .  The  events  of  the  past  few 
weeks  have  been  so  strange,  so  new,  and  so  dreadful, 
that  I  almost  feel  as  if  I  had  entered  upon  a  new  ex- 
istence ;  and  Avhen  I  sit  and  recall  the  pleasant  hours 
that  we  passed  together  last  winter,  and  the  dear  gen- 
eral's brief  but  happy  visits  to  us,  with  all  that  delight- 
ful interchange  of  Christian  and  social  intercourse,  it 
seems  like  a  bright  dream.  '  Oh,  could  those  days  but 
come  again !'  I  feel  as  though  that  would  be  almost 
too  much  happiness.     The  occupation  of  our  town  bj 


354  LIFE   OF  GENERAL  THOMAS   J.  JACKSON. 

the  Federals  came  upon  me  like  a  dreadful  shock.  I 
had  never  permitted  myself  to  believe  for  an  instant 
that  they  would  ever  get  here.  I  had  a  firm  convic- 
tion that  reinfercements  were  somewhere  within  reach, 
for,  of  course,  we  knew  that  our  general,  brave  and 
splendid  as  he  is,  could  not  withstand  an  overwhelm- 
ing force  with  his  little  band,  but  still  I  believed  some- 
thing would  turn  up  to  keep  them  away ;  and  when 
he  came  to  tell  us  good-by,  looking  so  sad  (and  I 
know  hey^Z^  deeply  grieved),  I  felt  stunned,  and  could 
scarcely  trust  myself  to  speak,  lest  I  should  say  some- 
thing to  add  to  his  troubles.  The  agony  of  the  next 
twenty-four  hours,  I  trust,  if  it  is  God's  will,  may  nev- 
er be  experienced  by  me  again.  It  was,  indeed,  a  bit- 
ter thing  to  feel  that  our  own  army  was  gone,  and 
then  to  see  the  Yankees  in  such  numbers,  the  main 
body  marching  to  the  music  of  their  brass  bands,  but 
some  tearing  across  the  fields,  up  the  alleys,  and  in 
ever}'-  direction — '  monarchs  of  all  they  surveyed' — it 
was  too  much  for  me,  and  I  gave  way  completely. 
But  I  remembered  that  God  reigns,  and  is  ovei'  all ! 
and  I  know  this  has  not  come  upon  us  by  accident. 
God  has  ordered  and  permitted  it,  and  He  has  been 
better  to  us  than  all  our  fears.  His  angel  has  cer- 
tainly encamped  around  our  dwelling,  and  no  harm 
has  happened  to  us.  It  is  really  wonderful  how  we 
have  been  protected,  Avhile  others  have  suffered  so 
from  their  depredations.  .  .  .  Our  ladies  have  a  daily 
prayer-meeting,  which  is  very  delightful,  and  serves 
to  strengthen  our  faith  and  help  us  to  bear  our  trials. 
I  firmly  believe  that  God  will  deliver  us  and  drive  out 
our  enemies.  Their  sojourn  among  us  has  greatly  in- 
creased the  secession  feeling,  and  persons   who  had 


LETTERS   FROM   MRS.   GRAHAM.  355 

never  taken  any  part  before  have  become  violent.  In- 
deed, the  old  town  has  stood  up  bravely  for  the  South. 
This  country  is  becoming  completely  desolated — the 
farms  being  stripped  of  everything,  the  fences  all  de- 
stroyed, and  the  farmers  not  planting  any  crops.  There 
is  no  encouragement  for  them  to  do  so,  as  long  as  the 
Yankees  are  here,  for  they  take  possession  of  every- 
thing they  want.  Their  officers  threaten  to  arrest 
every  secessionist,  but  we  are  not  intimidated,  and  I 
earnestly  hope  our  general  will  come  back  before  they 
have  time.  We  do  long  and  watch  for  the  day  when 
he  will  return  at  the  head  of  his  army,  and  we  Avill  give 
him  such  a  welcome  as  no  man  ever  did  receive  before.'' 

"  August  9th,  18G2.  .  .  .  Although  our  master  Pope 
does  not  allow  us  to  Avrite  to  our  "  reheV  friends,  I 
expect  to  have  an  opportunity  of  sending  a  letter 
through  the  lines  ;  but  as  he  is  certainly  not  our  7'ight- 
ful  master,  and  if  I  can  so  cheat  him  as  to  have  a  pleas- 
ant chat  with  you,  my  conscience  will  not  be  offended. 
While  you  were  here,  it  became  so  natural  for  me  to  go 
into  your  room  to  communicate  to  you  everything  that 
was  interesting  or  amusing,  that  now,  when  anything 
funny  happens  (for  sometimes  we  do  have  occasion 
to  laugh  even  now),  I  feel  an  intense  desire  to  tell 
you  about  it,  but  have  to  content  myself  with  im- 
agining how  we  would  laugh  if  we  only  had  a  chance. 
.  .  .  That  threatened  oath  of  jdlegiance  has  been  so 
long  delayed  that  we  hope  it  may  not  be  carried  out ; 
but  you  may  depend  the  thought  was  by  no  means 
agreeable  that  my  dear  husband  would  be  picked  up 
and  put  through  the  lines,  not  knowing  wliither  to 
turn  his  feet,  and  I  left  witli  four  little  children  with- 


356  LIFE   OF   GENERAL   THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

out  protection  or  support.  However,  I  had  the  calm 
and  delightful  assurance  that  our  Father  would  not 
forsake  us,  but  Avould  make  all  things  work  together 
for  our  good.  .  .  .  God  has  certainly  made  use  of  your 
noble  husband  to  do  great  things  for  his  country. 
'  Them  that  honor  me,  I  will  honor,'  is  His  own 
promise,  and  He  has  been  faithful  to  His  word.  I 
think  our  dear  general  more  entirely  forgets  self  in 
his  desire  to  glorify  God  than  any  one  I  ever  knew — 
his  humble,  confiding  trust  in  the  Almighty  gives  me 
more  comfort  and  more  confidence  than  anything  else. 
His  qualities  as  a  splendid  general  all  admit,  but  the 
greatest  of  men  often  fail  in  their  efforts ;  so,  far 
above  everything  else  do  I  prize  his  noble.  Christian 
character,  and  I  am  thankful  for  the  privilege  which 
I  enjoyed  in  being  thrown  so  intimately  with  him. 
You  remember  I  told  you  that  I  asked  my  Heavenly 
Father,  if  it  was  right  for  us  to  take  boarders,  to  send 
me  those  who  would  be  congenial,  and  He  certainly 
more  than  answered  my  prayers.  I  thank  Him  for 
you  both,  my  dear  friend. 

''  How  wonderfully  God  has  protected  your  dear 
husband  !  Oh !  how  I  do  rejoice  with  you  that  '  his 
head  has  been  covered  in  the  day  of  battle!'  May 
God,  in  His  infinite  and  tender  mercy,  spare  him 
from  all  liarm,  and  continue  to  make  him  the  instru- 
ment of  our  deliverance,  if  it  is  His  will.  Oh  that 
He  may  give  us  such  victories  as  may  compel  a  peace 
— an  honorable  peace  ! 

"  The  general's  little  visit  to  us  Avas  a  perfect  sun- 
beam. I  never  saw  him  look  so  fat  and  hearty,  and 
he  was  as  bright  and  happy  as  possible.  He  spent 
two  evenings  with  us ;  the  evening  he  arrived  here 


FROM   MRS.  GRAHAM.  357 

(which  was  Sunday)  he  came  around,  and  said  he  did 
not  think  it  was  wrong  to  come  home  on  Sunday. 
This  was  very  gratifying  to  us.  I  don't  remember 
ever  experiencing  more  intense  happiness  than  during 
that  visit;  and  when  I  saw  our  dear  general  in  his  old 
place  at  the  table,  I  could  have  screamed  with  delight! 
The  children  were  very  happy  at  seeing  him.  .  .  . 
When  the  Federal  army  last  retreated,  some  of  the 
frightened  fugitives  reported  that  the  ladies  of  our 
town  actually  fired  on  them.  Mother  was  seen  to 
kill  iwo!'''' 

"  October  13th.  We  watch  with  jealous  and  anx- 
ious eyes  everything  which  looks  like  a  retrograde 
tendency.  I  cannot  help  envying  you  your  quiet 
home,  far  removed  from  the  sight  of  war,  but  I  have 
no  doubt  vou  would  be  even  willing  to  exchange 
with  me  if  you  could  have  your  husband  with  you. 
Well,  so  it  is — '  every  heart  knoweth  its  own  bitter- 
ness.' But  I  assure  you,  this  thing  of  being  on  the 
border,  and  subject  at  any  time  to  be  taken  captives 
again,  is  indeed  dreadful;  every  time  they  come  it  is 
worse  than  before.  In  this  last  retreat  they  tried  to 
destroy  everything — burned  the  depot  and  warehouses, 
but  I  think  our  troops  captured  a  great  deal.  The 
explosion  of  their  magazine  was  terrific,  our  house 
heaved,  and  the  glass  was  broken  in  almost  every 
house  in  town.  We  poor  Winchester  people  have 
a  hard  time,  don't  we  ? 

'•  I  wish  the  general  was  near  enough  for  me  to 
minister  to  his  comfort  in  many  ways,  for  we  do  love 
him.  I  hope  yet  that  we  may  see  him.  I  was  quite 
amused  with  Jim,  who  came  to  see  me  the  other  day. 


358  LIFE    OF    GENERAL    THOMAS   J.  JACKSON. 

You  know  you  didn't  give  me  a  very  exalted  idea  of 
Jim's  talent  in  the  culinary  art,  and  I  said  in  rather 
a  commiserating  tone,  '  Jim,  does  the  General  get 
anything  he  wants  to  eat  V  '  Oh  !  yqs,  madam,  / 
cook.  I  fare  venj  well,  and  so  do  the  staff !''  ...  I 
wish  you  could  know  how  your  husband  is  regarded 
here.  I  never  saAv  such  admiration  as  is  felt  for  him 
b}""  every  one,  and  his  Christian  character  elicits  the 
greatest  reverence  and  affection.  It  would  have  done 
your  heart  good  to  hear  the  prayers  that  were  offered 
for  him  on  the  day  of  Thanksgiving." 

"November  21st,  1862. 
"  My  dear  Fkiend, — I  feel  as  if  I  cannot  sleep  to- 
night (although  it  is  our  bedtime)  without  writing 
a  few  lines  just  to  tell  you  of  a  most  delightful  visit 
we  had  from  your  dear  husband.  He  took  his  head- 
quarters in  town  day  before  j^esterday,  but  he  was 
too  busy  to  come  to  see  us.  Mr.  Graham  called  upon 
him  yesterday,  and  he  promised,  if  he  could,  to  spend 
this  evening  with  us ;  but  this  morning  we  witnessed 
the  melancholy  spectacle  of  our  armv  moving  off 
again,  and  we  feared  he  would  have  to  hurry  off, 
without  giving  us  the  pleasure  of  seeing  him.  But 
he  did  not  go,  and  he  did  come  here  to  tea,  and  I  tell 
you  we  had  a  pleasant  time.  It  did  seem  so  much 
like  old  times — those  good  old  times  of  last  winter ; 
we  were  all  so  cosy  in  our  dining-room,  and  around 
the  table  we  did  wish  for  you  in  your  seat  between 
us.  Indeed,  tlie  jiresence  of  your  dear  little  self  was 
all  that  was  wanting  to  complete  the  pleasure  of  the 
evening,  lie  is  looking  in  such  perfect  health — far 
handsomer  than  I  ever  saw  liim — and  is  in  such  fine 


FROM   MRS.  GRAHAM.  359 

spirits,  seemed  so  unreserved  and  unrestrained  in  his 
intercourse  with  us,  that  we  did  enjoy  him  to  the 
full.  The  children  begged  to  be  permitted  to  sit  up 
to  see  '  General  Jackson,'  and  he  really  seemed  over- 
joyed to  see  them,  played  with  and  fondled  them, 
and  they  were  equally  pleased.  I  have  no  doubt 
it  was  a  great  recreation  to  him.  He  seemed  to  be 
living  over  last  winter  again,  and  talked  a  great  deal 
about  the  hope  of  getting  back  to  spend  this  winter 
with  us,  in  that  old  room,  which  I  told  him  I  was 
keeping  for  you  and  him.  He  expects  to  leave  to- 
morrow, but  says  he  may  come  back  yet.  This  would 
be  too  delightful.  He  certainly  has  had  adulation 
enough  to  spoil  him,  but  it  seems  not  to  affect  or 
harm  him  at  all.  He  is  the  same  humble,  dependent 
Christian,  desiring  to  give  God  the  glory,  and  looking 
to  Him  alone  for  a  blessing,  and  not  thinking  of  him- 
self. This,  I  think,  is  a  wonderful  and  beautiful  trait, 
and  one  upon  which  I  delight  to  dwell  in  my  medi- 
tations upon  him.  The  acquaintance  that  I  have 
with  him  as  an  humble,  trusting,  and  devoted  follower 
of  Christ  is  a  source  of  the  greatest  consolation  to 
me  at  all  times.  I  always  feel  assured  that  he  does 
everything  under  the  guidance  of  our  Heavenly 
Father,  and  this  is  the  secret  of  his  wonderful  success. 
"  I  fixed  him  a  lunch  for  to-morrow,  and  we  sat  and 
talked  so  cosily,  and  the  evening  \vas  concluded  by 
bowing  before  the  family  altar  again,  and  imploring 
our  Father's  blessing  upon  you  and  all  of  us,  what- 
ever may  betide.  Now,  was  not  this  a  charming 
evening,  and  don't  you  wish  you  had  been  here?" 

"We  now  approach  an  event  in  the  life  of  General 


360      LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

Jackson  which  gladdened  his  heart  more  than  all 
his  victories,  and  filled  it  with  devout  gratitude  to 
the  Giver  of  all  good.  On  the  23d  of  November, 
1862,  God  blest  him  with  a  daughter.  To  a  man  of 
his  extreme  domesticity  and  love  for  children  this 
was  a  crowning  happiness ;  and  yet,  with  his  great 
modesty  and  shrinking  from  publicity,  he  requested 
that  he  should  not  receive  the  announcement  by  tele- 
graph, and  when  it  came  to  him  b}"  letter  he  kept 
the  glad  tidings  all  to  himself — leaving  his  staff  and 
those  around  him  in  camp  to  hear  of  it  through  oth- 
ers. This  was  to  him  a  "  joy  with  which  a  stranger 
could  not  intermeddle,"  and  from  which  his  own 
hand  could  not  lift  the  veil  of  sanctity. 

The  first  intimation  of  his  new  happiness  was  a 
letter  from  his  little  daughter  herself !  The  amanu- 
ensis was  her  aunt,  Mrs.  Irwin,  at  whose  house  she 
was  born,  in  Charlotte,  North  Carolina,  and  this  was 
the  letter : 

"  My  own  dear  Father, — As  my  mother's  letter  has 
been  cut  short  by  my  arrival,  I  think  it  but  justice  that 
I  should  continue  it.  I  know  that  you  are  rejoiced  to 
hear  of  my  coming,  and  I  hope  that  God  has  sent  me 
to  radiate  your  pathway  through  life.  I  am  a  very 
tiny  little  thing.  I  weigh  only  eight  and  a  half 
pounds,  and  Aunt  Harriet  says  I  am  the  express 
image  of  my  darling  papa,  and  so  does  our  kind 
friend,  Mrs.  Osborne,  and  this  greatly  delights  my 
mother.  !My  aunts  both  say  that  I  am  a  little  beauty. 
My  hair  is  dark  and  long,  my  eyes  are  blue,  my  nose 
straight  just  like  papa's,  and  my  complexion  not  all 
red  like  most  young  ladies  of  my  age,  but  a  beautiful 


ijiW^:u. 


a     a 
^     .5 


^         -;       O 


t3       " 


r^-iv 


THE    BIRTH  OF  A  DAUGHTER.  361 

blending  of  the  lily  and  the  rose.  Now,  all  this 
would  sound  very  vain  if  I  were  older,  but  I  assure 
you  I  have  not  a  particle  of  feminine  vanity,  my 
only  desire  in  life  being  to  nestle  in  close  to  my 
mamma,  to  feel  her  soft  caressing  touch,  and  to  drink 
in  the  pearly  stream  provided  by  a  kind  Providence 
for  my  support.  My  mother  is  very  comfortable  this 
morning.  She  is  anxious  to  have  my  name  decided 
upon,  and  hopes  you  will  write  and  give  me  a  name, 
with  your  blessing.  We  look  for  ray  grandmother 
to-morrow,  and  expect  before  long  a  visit  from  my 
little  cousin,  Mary  Graham  Avery,  who  is  one  month 
my  senior,  I  was  born  on  Sunday,  just  after  the 
morning  services  at  church,  but  I  believe  my  aunt 
wrote  you  all  about  the  first  day  of  my  life,  and  this 
being  only  the  second,  my  history  may  be  comprised 
in  a  little  space.  T3ut  my  friends,  who  are  about  me 
like  guardian  angels,  hope  for  me  a  long  life  of  hap- 
piness and  holiness  and  a  futurity  of  endless  bliss. 
"  Your  dear  little  wee  Daughter." 

These  lovely  little  missives  continued  to  reach  the 
father  until  the  mother  was  able  once  more  to  resume 
her  pen,  but  onl}'-  this  one  was  ever  recovered.  In 
the  meantime,  he  writes  on  the  4th  of  December : 

..."  Oh  !  how  thankful  I  am  to  our  kind  Heavenly 
Father  for  having  spared  my  precious  wife  and  given 
us  a  little  daughter!  I  cannot  tell  you  how  gratified 
I  am,  nor  how  much  I  wish  I  could  be  with  you  and 
see  my  two  darlings.  But  while  this  pleasure  is  de- 
nied me,  I  am  thankful  it  is  accorded  to  you  to  have 
the  little  pet,  and  1  hope  it  may  be  a  great  deal  of  com- 


362  LIFE  OF   GENERAL   THOMAS   J.  JACKSON. 

pany  and  comfort  to  its  mother.  Now  don't  exert  your- 
self to  write  to  me,  for  to  know  that  you  were  taxing 
yourself  to  write  would  give  me  more  pain  than  the 
letter  would  pleasure,  so  you  must  not  do  it.  But  you 
must  love  your  esposo  in  the  meantime.  ...  I  expect 
you  are  just  made  up  now  with  that  baby.  Don't  you 
wish  your  husband  wouldn't  claim  any  part  of  it,  but 
let  you  have  the  sole  ownership?  Don't  you  regard 
it  as  the  most  precious  little  creature  in  the  world  ? 
Do  not  spoil  it,  and  don't  let  anybody  tease  it. 
Don't  permit  it  to  have  a  bad  temper.  How  I  would 
love  to  see  the  darling  little  thing !  Give  her  many 
kisses  for  her  father. 

"  At  present  I  am  about  fifty  miles  from  Rich- 
mond, and  one  mile  from  Guiney's  Station,  on  the 
railroad  from  Richmond  to  Fredericksburg.  Should 
I  remain  here,  I  do  hope  you  and  baby  can  come  to 
see  me  before  spring,  as  you  can  come  on  the  rail- 
road. Wherever  I  go,  God  gives  me  kind  friends. 
The  people  here  show  me  great  kindness.  I  receive 
invitation  after  invitation  to  dine  out,  and  spend  the 
night,  and  a  great  many  provisions  are  sent  me,  in- 
cluding nice  cakes,  tea,  loaf-sugar,  etc.,  and  the  socks 
and  gloves  and  handkerchiefs  still  come ! 

"  I  am  so  thankful  to  our  ever-kind  Heavenly  Father 
for  having  so  improved  my  eyes  as  to  enable  me  to 
write  at  night.  He  continually  showers  blessings 
upon  me ;  and  that  yori  should  have  been  spared, 
and  our  darling  little  daughter  given  us,  fills  my 
heart  with  overflowing  gratitude.  If  I  know  my  un- 
worthy self,  my  desire  is  to  live  entirely  and  unre- 
servedly to  God's  glory.  Pray,  my  darling,  that  I  may 
so  live." 


LOVING   THOUGHTS  OF   HIS   CHILD.  363 

In  response  to  his  baby  -  daughter's  first  letter,  he 

closes  by  saying :  "  Thank  sister  II very  kindly, 

and  give  the  baby-daughter  a  shower  of  kisses  from 
her  father,  and  tell  her  that  he  loves  her  better  than 
all  the  baby -boys  in  the  world,  and  more  than  all 
the  other  babies  in  the  world." 

This  was  to  reassure  his  wife,  who  feared  he  would 
be  disappointed  at  not  having  a  boy.  He  desired  a 
son,  believing  that  men  had  a  larger  sphere  of  useful- 
ness than  women  ;  but  his  own  will  was  so  entirely  in 
subjection  to  that  of  his  Ileavenl}'  Father  that  he 
said  he  jpvef erred  having  a  daughter,  since  God  had 
so  ordained  it. 

December  3d  he  wrote  to  his  sister-in-law,  thanking 
her  for  her  kindness,  and  saying :  "  I  fear  I  am  not 
grateful  enough  for  unnumbered  blessings.  ...  I 
trust  God  will  answer  the  prayers  offered  for  peace 
on  last  Monday.  Not  much  comfort  is  to  be  expected 
until  this  cruel  war  terminates.  I  haven't  seen  my 
wife  since  last  March,  and,  never  having  seen  my  child, 
you  can  imagine  with  what  interest  I  look  to  North 
Carolina." 

December  lOth,  he  writes  to  his  wife  :  "  This  morn- 
ing I  received  a  charming  letter  from  my  darling  lit- 
tle daughter,  Julia."  He  had  given  her  the  name  of 
his  mother,  whose  memory  was  so  dear  to  him.  But 
immediately,  as  if  his  heart  trembled  at  the  very 
thought  of  so  much  happiness,  he  adds :  "  Do  not  set 
your  affections  upon  her,  except  as  a  gift  from  God. 
If  she  absorbs  too  much  of  our  hearts,  God  may  re- 
move her  from  us." 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

THE    BATTLE   OF  FREDERICKSBURG. 

From  these  thoughts  of  home,  it  is  an  abrupt  change 
to  the  field  of  war.  But  the  two  armies,  while  enjoy- 
ing a  few  weeks  of  rest,  had  been  in  preparation  for  a 
renewal  of  the  great  struggle.  The  battle  of  Sharps- 
burg  (or  Antietam),  followed  as  it  was  by  the  with- 
drawal of  Lee  across  the  Potomac  into  Virginia,  was 
regarded  in  Washington  as  a  great  victory,  and  there 
was  a  loud  demand  that  McClellan,  flushed  with  suc- 
cess and  strengthened  by  large  reinforcements,  should 
push  his  advantage  to  the  utmost.  Day  after  day 
came  the  order  from  the  War  Department  for  an  im- 
mediate attack,  till  at  last,  impatient  of  delay,  he  was 
relieved  from  command,  and  Burnside  placed  in  his 
stead,  who  promptly  advanced  to  Fredericksburg,  on 
the  Rappahannock,  behind  wliich  Lee,  following  the 
movement,  proceeded  at  once  to  concentrate  his  whole 
force.  To  support  him  Jackson  was  ordered  from 
Winchester,  and  he  conveyed  his  troops  to  Fredericks- 
burg within  eight  days,  having  given  them  a  rest  of 
two  days  to  relieve  those  who  were  without  shoes, 
for,  with  all  his  eiforts  to  provide  for  their  necessities, 
many  still  remained  barefooted,  to  whom  it  was  so 
painful  to  march  that  numbers  f(?ll  out  of  the  ranks 
and  had  to  be  left  behind.  But  by  the  greatest  exer- 
tions his  command  was  brought  to  the  scene  of  ac- 


JACKSON   AS   HE   COMES   ON   THE   FIELD.  3()5 

tion,  and  his  last  message  to  me  before  the  battle  was, 
"My  headquarters  are  several  miles  from  Fredericks- 
bure:,  and  the  cannonading  near  there  has  been  verv 
heavy  this  morning."  By  the  12th  of  December  the 
Federals  crossed  the  Rappahannock,  took  possession 
of  Fredericksburg,  and  prepared  to  sweep  everything 
before  them. 

The  next  morning  (the  memorable  13th),  as  General 
Jackson  rode  forth  to  battle  his  appearance  attracted 
unusual  attention.  He  had  just  received  a  present 
from  General  Jeb  Stuart  of  an  elegant  new  uniform, 
which  was  in  such  striking  contrast  with  his  old 
suit  (of  which  he  had  taken  no  thought,  nor  given 
any  time  to  replace  it  during  his  arduous  Yalley  Cam- 
paign) that  his  soldiers  scarcely  recognized  him.  Gal- 
loping down  the  lines  with  his  staff,  he  soon  attracted 
the  attention  of  the  Federal  sharp-shooters ;  but  he 
safely  reached  the  summit  of  a  hill,  where  General  Lee 
was  watching  the  progress  of  affairs.  A  Confederate 
artilleryman,  Wm.  Page  Carter,  gives  the  following 
graphic  picture  of  Jackson  as  he  came  on  the  field : 

"  A  general  officer,  mounted  upon  a  superb  bay  horse 
and  followed  by  a  single  courier,  rode  up  through  our 
guns.  Looking  neither  to  the  right  nor  the  left,  he  rode 
straight  to  the  front,  halted,  and  seemed  gazing  intently 
on  the  enemy's  line  of  battle  on  the  old  telegraph  road. 

"  The  outfit  before  me,  from  top  to  toe,  cap,  coat, 
pants,  top-boots,  horse  and  furniture,  Avere  all  of  the 
new  order  of  things.  But  there  was  something  about 
the  man  that  did  not  look  so  new,  after  all.  He  ap- 
peared to  be  an  old-time  friend  of  all  this  turmoil 
around  him.     As  he  had  done  us  the  honor  to  make 


366      LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JAUKSOX. 

an  afternoon  call  on  the  artillery,  I  thought  it  becom- 
ing in  some  one  to  say  something  on  the  occasion. 
No  one  did,  however ;  so,  although  a  somewhat  bash- 
ful and  weak-kneed  youngster,  I  plucked  up  courage 
enough  to  venture  the  remark  that  those  big  guns 
over  the  river  had  been  knocking  us  about  pretty  con- 
siderably during  the  day.  He  quickly  turned  his  head, 
and  I  knew  in  an  instant  who  it  was  before  me.  The 
clear-cut,  chiselled  features ;  the  thin,  compressed,  and 
determined  lips;  the  neatly  trimmed  chestnut  beard; 
the  calm,  steadfast  eye,  that  could  fathom  the  tide  of 
battle  in  a  moment ;  the  countenance  to  command  re- 
spect, and,  in  time  of  war,  to  give  the  soldier  that  con- 
fidence he  so  much  craves  from  a  superior  oiRcer,  w^ere 
all  there.  And  there  was  one  I  had  heard  so  much  of 
and  had  longed  so  much  to  see,  whose  battle  front  I 
was  then  to  look  upon  for  the  first  time,  but  not,  how- 
ever, the  last.  As  I  said  before,  he  turned  his  head 
quickly,  and  looking  me  all  over  in  about  two  seconds, 
he  rode  up  the  line  and  away  quietly  and  as  silently 
as  he  came,  his  little  courier  hard  upon  his  heels ;  and 
this  was  my  first  sight  of  Stonewall  Jackson." 

Dr.  Dabney  describes  the  array  of  armies  on  the 
morning  of  the  battle  : 

"It  was  now  past  nine  o'clock,  and  the  sun,  mount- 
ing up  the  eastern  sky  with  almost  a  summer  power, 
was  rapidly  exhaling  the  mist.  As  the  white  folds 
dissolved  and  rolled  away,  disclosing  the  whole  })lain 
to  view,  such  a  spectacle  met  the  eyes  of  the  generals 
as  the  pomps  of  earth  can  seldom  rival.  ]\[arshalled 
upon  the  vast  arena  between  them  stood  the  hundred 


THE  BATTLE  OF  FREDERICKSBURG.       367 

and  twenty-five  thousand  foes,  with  countless  batteries 
of  field-guns  blackening  the  ground.  Long  triple  lines 
of  infantry  crossed  the  field  from  right  to  left,  and 
hid  their  western  extreme  in  the  streets  of  the  little 
city;  while  down  the  valleys,  descending  from  the 
Stafford  Heights  to  the  bridges,  were  pouring  in  vast 
avalanches  of  men,  the  huge  reserves.  For  once,  war 
unmasked  its  terrible  proportions  to  the  view  with  a 
distinctness  hitherto  unknown  in  the  forest-clad  land- 
scapes of  America;  and  the  plain  of  Fredericksburg 
presented  a  panorama  that  was  dreadful  in  its  gran- 
deur. .  .  .  Lee  stood  upon  his  chosen  hill  of  observa- 
tion, inspiring  every  spectator  by  his  calm  heroism, 
with  his  two  great  lieutenants  beside  him,  and  re- 
viewed every  quarter  of  the  field  with  his  glass.  It 
was  then  that  Longstreet,  to  whose  sturdy  breast  the 
approach  of  battle  seemed  to  bring  gayety,  said  to 
Jackson :  '  General,  do  not  all  these  multitudes  fright- 
en you  V  He  replied :  '  We  shall  see  very  soon  whether 
I  shall  not  frighten  them.'  " 

The  generals  soon  sought  their  respective  positions, 
and  the  battle  opened  with  a  furious  cannonade  —  two 
hundred  guns  thundering  from  the  heights  occupied 
by  the  enemy— and  the  opposite  hills  returning  the 
fire  with  all  the  skill  and  power  of  which  an  inferior 
force  was  capable.  A  vivid  description  of  the  conflict 
itself  is  furnished  by  a  young  Confederate  officer : 

"  The  whole  battle-field  was  the  most  dramatic  and 
imposing  tableau  I  ever  witnessed.  .  .  .  The  low  grounds 
of  the  Rappahannock  below  Fredericksburg  spread 
into  a  plain  of  some  miles  in  width,  bounded  by  a 


368      LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

range  of  low  wooded  hills,  which  terminate  on  the 
lower  side  in  the  Massaponax  low  grounds,  and  on  the 
upper  in  a  series  of  rather  high  and  abrupt  bluffs  next 
to  the  river  and  above  the  town.  At  one  point  in  this 
line  of  hills  a  wooded  marsh  projects  far  into  the  plain. 
"  Imagine  now  this  long  line  of  wooded  hills  peopled 
with  men — every  little  promontory  bristling  Avith  ar- 
tillery, the  whole  line  of  railway  at  the  foot  of  the 
hills  and  every  hedge-row  and  ditch  gleaming  with 
bayonets,  and  you  have  what  must  have  been  the 
impression  of  the  Yankees  of  our  position.  Again, 
stand  with  me  upon  one  of  the  same  little  promon- 
tories and  look  out  upon  their  lines,  and  see  what 
we  saw.  Far  upon  the  left  the  smoke  from  the 
smouldering  ruins  of  the  town,  and  Longstreet's  camp- 
fires  seem  to  blend  together;  while  in  front,  and  al- 
most as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach  to  the  right  and  left, 
you  see  the  blue-coated  Federal  lines  extended,  well- 
armed,  well-equipped,  and  seemingly  assured  of  suc- 
cess. Behind  them  the  hills  seem  crowded  with  artil- 
lery, which  can  hurl  their  missiles  to  the  very  foot  of 
the  hills  upon  which  we  stand.  The  word  is  given  to 
advance.  How  gallantly  they  come  on !  Not  a  sound 
is  heard  from  our  side  except  the  sharp  crack  of  our 
skirmishers  as  they  fall  back  slowly  before  the  over- 
whelming advance.  The  air  seems  alive  with  the 
whistling  of  shot  and  shell  which  the  enemy  send  as 
precursors  to  their  infantry  charge.  Suddenlv  a  bat- 
tery of  thirty  guns,  from  just  where  we  are  stand- 
ing, opens  upon  the  column  of  attack.  They  falter, 
and  reel,  and  stagger ;  they  rally,  and  break,  and  ral- 
ly again ;  but  in  vain  :  flesh  and  I)lood  cannot  stand 
it ;  they  retire  routed  and  confused. .  At  that  moment 


TURNING-POINT   OF   THE   DAY.  369 

an  officer  gallops  wildly  up  to  General  Jackson,  and 
exclaims,  in  almost  breathless  haste :  '  General,  the  en- 
emy have  broken  through  Archer's  left,  and  General 
Gregg  says  he  must  have  help,  or  he  and  General 
Archer  will  both  lose  their  position.'  The  general 
turned  round  as  quietly  as  if  nothing  extraordinary 
had  happened,  and  ordered  up  Early's  division  to  sup- 
port the  centre.  Yet  every  one  said  afterwards  that 
this  was  the  turning-point  of  the  day.  In  about  an 
hour  the  footing  which  the  enemy  had  gained  in  the 
wood  was  recovered  by  Trimble  and  Thomas,  and  they 
were  pursued  far  into  the  plain.  This  was  all  I  saw  of 
the  fight." 

Longstreet's  troops  were  equally  successful  in  repell- 
ing their  opponents,  and  when  the  day  closed  the  vic- 
tory was  complete. 

During  the  battle,  while  there  was  a  lull  in  the 
fiercest  hostilities.  General  Jackson,  desiring  to  inspect 
the  positions  of  the  enemy,  rode  to  his  extreme  right, 
dismounted,  and,  accompanied  only  by  his  aide,  Mr. 
Smith,  walked  far  out  into  the  plain.  They  were  soon 
singled  out  by  a  sharp-shooter,  who  sent  a  bullet  whiz- 
zing between  their  heads,  which  were  not  more  than 
tw^o  paces  apart.  The  general  turned  to  his  companion 
with  a  humorous  smile,  and  said :  "  Mr.  Smith,  had 
you  not  better  go  to  the  rear  ?    They  ma}^  shoot  you  !" 

At  the  close  of  this  memorable  day,  General  Jack- 
son went  to  his  tent,  and  there  found  Colonel  Boteler, 
Avho  was  his  right-hand  man  in  carrying  despatches 
to  the  government,  and  in  co-operating  with  him  in 
every  way.  The  colonel  was  invited  to  share  his  pallet 
with  him,  but  he  sat  up  himself  some  time  longer,  writ- 
24 


370  LIFE   OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

ing  and  sending  despatches.  Weariness  at  last  com- 
pelled him  to  throw  himself  down  without  undressing, 
and,  after  sleeping  profoundly  for  two  or  three  hours, 
he  rose,  lighted  his  candle,  and  continued  his  writing. 
In  glancing  around,  he  noticed  that  the  light  of  his 
candle  shone  full  in  the  face  of  his  friend,  whom  he 
supposed  to  be  still  sleeping,  and  with  the  quick 
thoughtfulness  of  a  woman  he  placed  a  book  upon 
his  table  in  front  of  the  candle,  so  as  to  shield  his  face 
from  the  light  and  not  interrupt  his  slumber. 

General  Jackson  was  much  concerned  at  hearing  of 
the  mortal  wounding  of  General  Gregg,  of  South  Car- 
olina, on  the  previous  day.  About  four  o'clock  on 
this  morning  he  sent  for  Dr.  McGuire  to  learn  his 
condition,  which  he  was  told  was  beyond  hope.  The 
surgeon  was  requested  to  go  again  and  see  that  the 
dying  man  had  everything  he  could  desire,  but  by 
the  time  he  reached  his  bedside  footsteps  were  heard 
behind  him,  and  Jackson  appeared  in  the  doorway, 
having  been  impelled  by  his  feelings  to  follow  him- 
self, and  take  a  farewell  of  his  brave  and  heroic  sub- 
ordinate. The  brief  interview  was  tender  and  touch- 
ing, and  sad  and  silent  the  commander  rode  back  with 
Dr.  McGuire  to  his  tent. 

When  he  ordered  his  servant,  Jim,  to  bring  his 
"  Little  Sorrel "  for  him  to  ride  on  this  occasion,  Jim 
protested  against  his  using  this  horse,  which  he  had 
ridden  during  the  whole  of  the  battle  of  the  pre- 
vious day,  and  an  amusing  war  of  words  jiassed  be- 
tween them  ;  l)ut  Jim  had  it  in  his  power  to  gain 
the  victory,  and  ])rought  out  another  horse,  wliich  the 
general  mounted,  and  rode  off,  attended  by  a  single 
aide. 


lUHNSlDK    RETREATS  ACROSS   THE    RIVER.  371 

The  Confederate  generals  expected  a  renewal  of 
hostilities  the  next  day,  and  their  army  was  eager  for 
another  attack,  but  the  P'ederals  failed  to  advance. 
On  Monday,  the  15th,  a  flag  of  truce  was  sent  by  the 
enemy,  requesting  permission  to  care  for  their  wound- 
ed, who  had  been  left  upon  the  frozen  ground  ever 
since  the  day  of  battle.  Then  under  the  cover  of 
night,  and  while  a  storm  of  wind  and  rain  was  raging, 
they  crossed  their  whole  force  over  the  river,  con- 
ducting their  retreat  so  silently  that  it  was  wholly 
concealed  from  the  Confederates.  They  marched  in 
such  silence  through  the  streets  of  Fredericksburg 
that  the  people  generally  (who  had  been  shut  up  in 
their  homes)  did  not  know  that  the  vast  hordes  were 
pouring  out  of  their  town.  When  a  few,  hearing  the 
continuous  tramp  of  men  and  horses,  looked  out  Avith 
candles  in  hand,  they  were  startled  at  finding  the 
streets  packed  with  multitudes  with  faces  turned 
northward,  and  they  were  commanded  in  peremptory 
whispers :  "  Put  out  that  light !  put  out  that  light !" 
— while  some  of  the  oflflcers  even  rushed  up  to  them, 
blew  out  their  lights,  and  thrust  them  back  into  the 
houses.  When  the  dreary  morning  daAvned,  the  Con- 
federates were  surprised  to  find  that  the  mighty  host 
which  had  confronted  them  for  three  days  had  disap- 
peared from  before  Fredericksburg,  and  Avere  once 
more  in  their  camp  on  the  other  side  of  the  river. 
The\"  admitted  a  loss  of  twelve  thousand  men  killed 
and  wounded,  nine  thousand  small-arms,  and  about  a 
thousand  prisoners.  In  repelling  the  attacks  of  their 
vast  army.  General  Lee  had  less  than  twenty-five 
thousand  men  actually  engaged,  and  had  lost  but  four 
thousand  two  hundred.     Of  these  twentv-nine  hun- 


372      LIFE  OF  GEXERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

dred  were  killed  and  wounded  in  the  corps  of  Jack- 
son ;  and  there  were,  in  addition,  five  hundred  and 
twenty -six  officers  and  men  captured.  This  great 
battle  of  Fredericksburg  ended  the  campaign  of  1S62, 
which  to  the  Confederates  was  the  most  brilliant  and 
successful  of  the  war. 

December  16th  General  Jackson  wrote  to  his  wife : 

"  Yesterday,  I  regret  to  sa}^  I  did  not  send  you  a 
letter.  I  was  on  the  front  from  before  dawn  until 
after  sunset.  The  enemy,  through  God's  blessing, 
was  repulsed  at  all  points  on  Saturday,  and  I  trust 
that  our  Heavenly  Father  will  continue  to  bless  us. 
We  have  renewed  reason  for  gratitude  to  Him  for 
m}"-  preservation  during  the  last  engagement.  We 
have  to  mourn  the  deaths  of  Generals  Maxey  Gregg 
and  Thomas  R.  R.  Cobb.  The  enemy  has  recrossed  to 
the  north  side  of  the  Rappahannock.  ...  I  was  made 
very  happy  at  hearing  through  my  baby  daughter's 
last  letter  that  she  had  entirely  recovered,  and  that 
she  '  no  longer  saw  the  doctor's  gray  whiskers.'  I  was 
much  gratified  to  learn  that  she  was  beginning  to 
notice  and  smile  when  caressed.  I  tell  you,  I  would 
love  to  caress  her  and  see  her  smile.  Kiss  the  little 
darling  for  her  father  and  give  my  grateful  love  to 
sister  H ." 

"  December  18th.  Our  headquarters  are  now  about 
twelve  miles  below  Fredericksburg,  near  the  house  of 
Mr.  Richard  Corbin,  which  is  one  of  the  most  beauti- 
ful buildings  I  have  seen  in  tliis  countiy.  It  is  said  to 
have  cost  sixty  thousand  dollars.     Night  before  last 


-     ClIAXliE   OF   IIKADgrARTEKS.  373 

I  was  about  to  spend  the  night  in  the  woods,  but  sent 
to  ask  if  we  could  procure  our  supper  at  the  house. 
Mr.  Corbin  Avas  absent,  serving  as  a  private  in  the 
Virginia  cavahy,  but  Mrs.  Corbin  bountifully  supplied 
us,  and  requested  me  to  spend  the  night  at  her  house, 
which  invitation  was  thankfully  accepted,  and  I  had  a 
delightful  night's  rest.  The  next  morning  she  urged 
me  to  remain,  and  offered  me  a  neat  building  in  the 
yard  for  my  office,  but  I  declined,  and  am  now  about 
five  hundred  yards  from  the  house,  encamped  in  the 
woods.  She  told  me  that  if  at  any  time  I  needed 
house  room,  she  could  let  me  have  it.  [He  afterwards 
moved  into  the  office  in  the  yard,  and  spent  most  of 
the  time  he  was  in  winter-^iuarters  there.] 

"  Baby's  letters  are  read  with  great  interest,  and  it 
does  her  father's  heart  great  good  to  read  them.  .  .  . 
I  have  much  work  before  me,  and  to-day  I  expect 
to  commence  in  earnest.  The  reports  of  the  battles 
of  McDowell,  Winchester,  Port  Republic,  liichmond, 
Manassas,  the  Maryland  campaign,  Harper's  Ferry, 
and  Fredericksburg  have  all  yet  to  be  written.  But 
something  has  been  done  towards  several  of  them  by 
my  staff." 

"  Christmas,  1862.  Yesterday  I  received  the  baby's 
letter  with  its  beautiful  lock  of  hair.  How  I  do  want 
to  see  that  precious  baby  !  and  I  do  earnestly  ])ray  for 
peace.  Oh  that  our  country  was  such  a  Christian, 
God-fearing  people  as  it  should  be !  Then  might  we 
very  speedily  look  for  peace.  Last  evening  I  received 
a  letter  from  Dr.  Dabney,  saying  :  '  One  of  the  high- 
est gratifications  both  Mrs.  Dabney  and  I  could  enjoy 
would  be  another  visit  from  Mrs.  Jackson  when  her 


374  LIFE   OF  GEN'ERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

health  is  re-established,'  and  he  invites  me  to  meet  you 
there.  He  and  Mrs.  Dabney  are  very  kind,  but  it  ap- 
pears to  me  that  it  is  better  for  me  to  remain  with 
my  command  so  long  as  the  war  continues,  if  our 
gracious  Heavenly  Father  permits.  Tlie  army  suffers 
immensely  by  absentees.  If  all  our  troops,  officers 
and  men,  were  at  their  posts,  we  might,  through  God's 
blessing,  expect  a  more  speedy  termination  of  the  war. 
The  temporal  aifairs  of  some  are  so  deranged  as  to 
make  a  strong  plea  for  their  returning  home  for  a 
short  time  ;  but  our  God  has  greatly  blessed  me  and 
mine  during  my  absence  ;  and  whilst  it  would  be  a 
great  comfort  to  see  you  and  our  darling  little  daugh- 
ter, and  others  in  whom  I  take  special  interest,  yet 
duty  appears  to  require  me  to  remain  with  mv  com- 
mand. It  is  important  that  those  at  headquarters  set 
an  example  by  remaming  at  the  post  of  duty. 

"  Dr.  Dabney  writes  :  '  Our  little  prayer-meeting  is 
still  meeting  daily  to  pray  for  our  army  and  leaders.' 
This  prayer-meeting  may  be  the  means  of  accomplish- 
ino-  more  than  an  army.  I  wish  that  such  existed 
everywhere.  How  it  does  cheer  my  heart  to  hear  of 
God's  people  praying  for  our  cause  and  for  me!  I 
greatly  prize  the  prayers  of  the  pious." 

''December  29th.  Yesterday  I  had  the  privilege 
of  attending  divine  service  in  a  church  near  General 
Hill's  headquarters,  and  enjoyed  the  services  very 
much.  Dr.  White  says  in  a  recent  letter  that  oui- 
pew  at  home  has  been  constantly  occupied  by  AVheel- 
ing  refugees.  I  am  gratified  to  hear  it.  He  also 
adds,  '  How  we  would  rejo'ce  to  see  you  and  our  dear 
friend,  Mrs.  Jackson,  again  in  that  pew,  and  in  the 


ADVICE   TO  A  YOUNC;    KIILATIVK.  376 

lecture -room  at  prayer  -  meetings !  We  still  meet  ev- 
ery Wednesday  afternoon  to  pray  for  our  army,  and 
especially  for  our  general.'  May  every  needful  bless- 
ing rest  upon  you  and  our  darling  child  is  the  earnest 
prayer  of  your  devoted  husband." 

The  next  two  letters  were  Avritten  to  a  young  rela- 
tive, a  nephew  of  his  mother  from  West  Virginia, 
who  applied  to  him  for  a  position  in  the  army  : 

..."  In  reply  to  your  intention  of  going  into  ser- 
vice, I  am  gratified  at  your  determination,  and  would 
recommend  you  to  enter  the  army  under  General  John 
Echols,  as  it  is  operating  in  the  western  part  of  the 
State,  to  which  climate  you  are  accustomed.  I  would 
like  to  have  you  with  me  if  I  had  a  place  to  which  I 
could  properly  assign  you;  but  you  had  better  join 
General  Echols  at  once,  and  by  your  attention  to 
duty  I  hope  you  will,  through  the  blessing  of  God, 
render  valuable  service  to  our  precious  cause." 

In  a  second  letter  of  April  2d,  1863,  he  says  : 

"  I  am  much  gratified  to  hear  that  3'ou  followed  my 
suggestion,  and  trust  you  will  have  no  reason  to  regret 
it.  We  should  always  be  usefully  employed,  and  if 
we  are  faithful  in  doing  our  duty  in  one  position,  it 
frequently  follows  that  we  are  advanced  to  a  higher 
one.  In  regard  to  your  question  whether  our  section 
of  the  State  will  get  relief  this  summer,  I  am  unable 
to  say.  My  command  is  not  a  separate  one.  I  am 
under  General  Lee,  and  my  corps  forms  a  part  of  his 
army.     I  hope  the  Northwest  will  soon  be  reclaimed, 


376  LIFE    OF   GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

but  1  do  not  know  what  the  government  designs  re- 
specting it  this  summer. 

"  I  have  a  little  daughter,  and  have  named  her 
Julia  after  my  mother.  I  don't  suppose  you  have 
any  recollection  of  mother,  as  she  has  been  dead  near- 
ly thirty  years.  In  the  summer  of  1855  I  visited  her 
grave  in  Fayette  County.  My  wife  and  child  are 
with  her  father  in  North  Carolina. 

"  I  hope  you  are  a  Christian.  There  is  no  happi- 
ness like  that  experienced  by  a  child  of  God.  You 
have  an  interest  in  my  prayers." 

The  following  incidents  are  from  the  pen  of  the 
Rev.  James  P.  Smith,  D.D.,  of  Fredericksburg,  who 
was  a  member  of  General  Jackson's  staff : 

"When  I  was  a  private  soldier,  a  member  of  the 
Rockbridge  Artillery,  I  went  to  headquarters  with  a 
written  application  for  leave  of  absence  for  one  night 
to  visit  a  sick  relative  in  a  distant  camp.  The  general 
kindly  recognized  me,  shook  hands,  and  when  I  pre- 
sented the  application  he  read  and  returned  it,  saying, 
'  I  can't  approve  your  leave  of  absence,  Mr.  Smith.'  I 
was  greatly  disappointed,  and  felt  somewhat  hurt  at 
what  seemed  to  me  to  be  a  harsh  and  arbitrary  decision  ; 
but  Mrs.  Jackson  afterwards  told  me  that  he  wrote  to 
her  that  he  regretted  that  the  regulation  would  not  ])ci'- 
mit  him  to  grant  the  leave.  [Mr.  Smith  was  a  friend 
of  his  wife.]  While  I  was  still  in  the  artillery,  in  the 
early  spring  of  1802,  and  encamped  at  Rude's  Ilill,  the 
general  came  to  our  camp  one  day  in  ni}'^  absence,  and 
created  a  great  stir  by  asking  for  Cor})oral  Smith.  Great 
expectations  were  aroused  that  Corporal  Smith  was  to 


LVCIDENTS  TOLD   BY    REV.  DR.  J.  P.  SMITH.  377 

be  appointed  to  some  office  or  special  duty,  but  on  my 
return  it  was  found  he  had  called  to  leave  me  apach- 
age  of  religious  tracts  for  distribution  in  the  camp  ! 

''  At  Frederick  City,  Maryland,  I  received  a  message 
to  call  at  General  Jackson's  headquarters,  when  he 
asked  me  to  accept  the  position  of  aide-de-camp  on 
his  staff.  It  was  a  great  surprise  to  me,  and  at  hrst 
embarrassed  me.  He  spoke  kindly  of  his  desire  to 
have  me  with  him,  and  of  the  time  it  would  take  me 
to  prepare  for  his  service  [in  getting  a  uniform], 
saying,  ''  I  have  hut  one  suit  myself,  sir.''  He  gave  me 
leave  of  absence  from  the  army  for  six  days  to  go 
back  to  Virginia  to  secure  clothing,  etc.,  saying, '  I  need 
your  services  as  soon  as  possible.'  He  was  exceeding- 
ly gracious  and  pleasant  in  manner  and  word  to  me. 

"  One  evening,  when  our  headquarters  were  at  Mi  In- 
wood,  Clarke  County,  Virginia,  the  young  men  became 
convinced  that  the  general  and  his  arnrv  would  pass 
over  the  mountain  gap  near  by  to  Eastern  Virginia.  I 
was  exceedingly  anxious  to  visit  Winchester  before  we 
went  east,  and  went  to  his  tent,  saying,  '  General,  as 
we  are  going  across  the  mountains  to-morrow,  I  wish 
to  go  to  Winchester  early  in  the  morning,'  He  smiled 
in  a  peculiar  way  and  said,  '  Are  you  going  over  the 
mountains  to-morrow?  Then,  certainly,  Mr.  Smith 
you  can  go  to  Winchester ;  but  donH  tell  an v  one  that 
we  are  going  over  the  mountains,'  and  he  laughed  at 
ray  expense.  I  went  to  Winchester  early  in  the  morn- 
ing, and,  after  an  liour  or  so,  was  returning  on  the 
Milnwood  road,  when,  at  a  turn  of  the  road,  I  sudden- 
Iv  met  General  Jackson  and  staff.  He  laughed  as  I 
rode  up,  saying,  '  Are  you  going  over  the  mountains, 
Mr.  Smith  V    And  I  found  that,  instead  of  going  over 


378  LIFE   OF   GENERAL   THOMAS   J.  JACKSON. 

the  mountains,  be  was  moving  his  headquarters  to 
"Winchester,  apparently  for  the  winter. 

"  The  general  and  myself  rode  with  orderlies  from 
Orange  Court-House  down  the  plank-road  in  Decem- 
ber, 1862,  dining  at  the  Kev.  Melzi  Chancellor's,  near 
the  "Wilderness  church,  turning  to  the  right  at  Salem 
church,  where  we  saw  many  refugees  from  Fredericks- 
burg in  the  falling  snow.  We  passed  Mrs.  French's 
place,  and  found  General  Lee's  headquarters  after 
dark,  on  the  main  road,  the  tent  pitched  in  the  pine 
woods.  General  Lee's  reception  was  exceedingly  kind 
and  hospitable.  After  a  little  while  General  Jackson 
took  me  out,  and  told  me  to  ride  to  a  house  near  by 
and  ask  for  lodging  during  the  night.  The  host  was 
a  vehement  old  gentleman,  who  at  first  refused  sharp- 
ly to  hear  me,  but  when  I  succeeded  in  making  him 
understand  that  General  Jackson  wanted  entertain- 
ment, he  was  greatly  aroused,  threw  open  his  door, 
and  told  me  to  tell  General  Jackson  to  come  at  once 
to  his  house — that  all  he  had  was  the  general's.  He 
entertained  us  with  great  hospitality  and  quite  com- 
fortably. The  next  night  our  tents  were  near  the  resi 
dence  of  Mrs.  French,  by  whose  invitation  the  general 
and  two  or  three  of  our  young  men  took  tea  with  her. 
It  was  a  charming  and  memorable  Sunday  evening. 
The  house  was  warm  and  briglit,  and  tlie  society  most 
agreeable,  after  a  long  campaign  and  hard  marching. 
The  tea-table  was  more  than  attractive.  I  remember 
the  general  as  seated  on  ''  sofa,  between  INlrs.  French 
and  old  IMiss  Hetty  Lily,  and  that,  at  Mrs.  French's 
request,  he  took  the  family  Bible  and  conducted  fam- 
ily worship,  after  wliicli  we  took  leave,  and  went 
throujjrh  the  snow  to  our  cheerless  tents. 


A   CHRISTMAS   DINNER.  379 

"  The  general  suggested  to  me  to  prepare  for  a  dinner 
on  Christmas  Day.  lie  wished  to  invite  General  Lee 
and  others  to  dine  with  him.  I  had  the  good  fortune 
to  secure  a  fine  turkey  ;  a  bucket  of  oysters  came  from 
down  the  river;  a  box  was  received  by  the  general 
from  some  Staunton  ladies,  containing  a  variety  of 
good  things ;  and  our  dinner  was  quite  well  set  forth. 
Generals  Lee,  Stuart,  Pendleton,  and  others  were 
guests.  General  Lee  rallied  us  very  much  on  our  af- 
fectation—  a  dining-room  servant  with  a  white  apron 
on  specially  amused  him.  He  often  laughed  at  us  for 
'  playing  soldiers,'  and  said  we  lived  too  well. 

"  General  Jackson  always  enjoyed  the  visits  of  Gen- 
eral Stuart,  whose  ga3^ety  and  humor  charmed  him, 
and  no  one  thought  of  being  so  familiar  with  our  gen- 
eral as  Stuart.  On  this  occasion  he  made  himself  very 
merry  at  finding  Jackson  in  tlie  office  of  old  Mr.  Cor- 
bin,  whose  walls  were  decorated  with  pictures  of 
race-horses,  fine  stock,  game-cocks,  and  a  famous  rat- 
terrier!  To  the  great  amusement  of  Jackson  and  his 
guests,  Stuart  pretended  to  regard  these  as  General 
Jackson's  own  selections,  and  as  indications  of  his  pri- 
vate tastes  —  indlcaihuj  a  (jreat  decline  in  his  moral 
character,  which  would  be  a  grief  and  disappointment 
to  the  pious  old  ladies  of  the  South.  To  add  to  the 
merriment,  General  Jackson  had  received  among  his 
presents  a  cake  of  butter,  with  a  gallant  chanticleer 
stamped  upon  it,  and  this  adorned  tiie  table,  (ieneral 
Stuart  held  it  up  in  his  hands,  and  called  the  company 
to  witness  that  their  liost  actually  carried  his  sport- 
ing tastes  so  far  that  he  had  his  favorite  game-cock 
stamped  on  his  butter,  as  though  it  were  a  coat-of- 
arms ! 


380  LIFE   OF   GENERAL   THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

"  During  the  winter  spent  at  Moss  Neck,  General 
Jackson  took  me  with  him  to  General  Lee's  head- 
quarters on  one  occasion  when  a  deep  snow  was  fall- 
ing. General  Lee  said  he  regretted  that  General 
Jackson  should  come  out  such  a  day,  whereupon  the 
latter,  smiling  pleasantly,  said :  '  I  received  your  note, 
sir,  saying  you  wished  to  see  me.' 

"  I  remember  a  pleasant  visit  to  Hayfield,  the  resi- 
dence of  a  Mr.  Taylor.  Generals  Lee,  Stuart,  Pendle- 
ton, and  Jackson  were  present,  with  Pelham  and  other 
staff-officers.  General  Lee  was  very  facetious,  and  de- 
scribed these  general  officers  to  old  Mrs.  Taylor  with 
much  good  humor.  He  told  her  that  '  General  Jack- 
son, who  was  smihng  so  pleasantly  near  her,  was  the 
most  cruel  and  inhuman  man  she  had  ever  seen.'  She 
demurred,  saying  she  had  always  heard  that  General 
Jackson  was  '  a  good^  Christian  man.''  General  Lee 
said,  '  Why,  when  we  had  the  battle  up  at  Fredericks- 
burg, do  3'ou  know,  Mrs.  Taylor,  it  was  as  much  as  we 
could  do  to  prevent  him  from  taking  his  men,  with 
bayonets  on  their  guns,  and  driving  the  enemy  into 
the  river  V  Mrs.  Taylor  began  to  see  his  humor,  and 
said :  '  Well,  General  Lee,  if  the  Yankees  ever  cross 
here,  at  our  place,  I  hope  3'ou  won't  prevent  him  from 
driving  them  into  the  river.' " 

In  these  pleasant  winter-quarters  at  Moss  Keck,  the 
residence  of  Mr.  Corbin,  General  Jackson  remained 
until  spring. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

WINTER-QUARTERS,  CHAPLAINS,  AND   CORRESPONDENCE— 

1863. 

After  the  battle  of  Fredericksburg  there  was  no 
other  advance  of  the  enemy  during  the  winter;  and 
General  Jackson  spent  a  peaceful,  but  very  industrious, 
winter  at  Moss  Neck.  The  winter-quarters  of  his 
troops  extended  from  near  Guiney's  Station  towards 
Port  Royal;  and  after  providing  them  with  shelter, 
which  consisted  of  huts  built  by  themselves,  he  de- 
voted himself  to  writing  his  reports,  and  to  the  gen- 
eral welfare  of  his  troops,  both  temporal  and  spiritual. 
Particularly  did  he  bend  his  energies  towards  disci- 
plining and  strengthening  his  command.  The  almost 
superhuman  exertions  in  marching  and  fighting  had 
caused  many  soldiers  to  absent  themselves  from  the 
army  without  leave,  and  this  was  an  evil  for  which  he 
had  no  toleration,  and  which  he  made  the  most  stren- 
uous efforts  to  correct.  He  was  also  greatly  interested 
this  winter  in  providing  his  army  with  chaplains,  and 
in  trying  to  infuse  more  zeal  into  those  who  were  al- 
ready in  this  service.  He  encouraged  all  denomina- 
tions to  labor  in  his  command,  co-operating  with  each 
in  every  way  in  his  power.  All  he  wished  to  know  of 
a  man  was  that  he  was  a  true  Christian  and  an  earnest 
worker  in  the  cause  of  his  Master.  Roman  Catholics 
were  granted  the  same  facilities  as  Protestants  for 
holding  their  services.     On  one  occasion  a  priest  ap- 


382      LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

plied  to  him  for  a  tent  in  which  to  conduct  worship  with 
soldiers  of  his  own  faith,  and  Jackson,  after  satisfying 
himself  by  inquiry  that  he  was  a  man  of  exemplary 
character,  granted  his  request,  and,  with  a  decision 
that  restrained  all  adverse  expressions  against  it,  he 
added :  "  He  shall  have  it,  I  care  not  what  may  be 
said  on  the  subject."  A  Presbyterian  minister,  in  de- 
scribing a  service  held  in  the  general's  camp,  said : 
"  So  Ave  had  a  Presbyterian  sermon,  introduced  by 
Baptist  services,  under  the  direction  of  a  Methodist 
chaplain,  in  an  Episcopal  church !  Was  not  that  a 
beautiful  solution  of  the  vexed  problem  of  Christian 
union  ?" 

Of  the  religious  character  of  General  Jackson  this 
preacher  said  :  "  The  sentiment  which  fills  his  soul  is 
his  sense  of  the  necessity  and  power  of  pra^^er — prayer 
in  the  army ;  prayer  for  the  army ;  prayer  by  the 
whole  country.  I  am  sure  it  makes  him  glad  and 
strong  to  know  how  many  of  the  best  people  in  the 
world  pray  for  him  without  ceasing."  He  pictures  the 
general's  "  firm  and  hopeful  face,"  "  the  placid  dili- 
gence of  his  daily  toils,"  and  his  attendance  on  the 
service  in  the  little  log  church  built  by  his  own  sol- 
diers, "  which  was  already  so  full  upon  his  arrival  that 
the  men  were  said  to  be  packed  like  herrings  in  a  bar- 
rel, and  he  and  General  Paxton  modestly  retired,  lest 
they  should  displace  some  already  within.  One  could 
not  sit  in  that  ]Hilpit  and  meet  the  concentrated  gaze 
of  those  men  without  deep  emotion.  I  remembered 
that  they  were  the  veterans  of  many  a  bloody  field. 
The  eyes  which  looked  into  mine,  waiting  for  the  gos- 
pel of  peace,  had  looked  as  steadfastly  upon  whatever 
is   terrible   in  war.      The  voices  which   now  poured 


CONCERX   FOR    HIS   SOLDIERS'   RELIGIOUS   WELFARE.     383 

forth  their  strength  in  singing  the  songs  of  Zion  had 
shouted  in  the  charge  and  the  victory.  .  .  .  Tlieir 
earnestness  of  aspect  constantly  impressed  me.  .  .  . 
They  looked  as  if  they  had  come  on  business,  and  very 
important  business,  and  the  preacher  could  scarcely 
do  otherwise  than  feel  that  he,  too,  had  business  of 
moment  there ! " 

A  chaplain  relates  that  on  the  eve  of  the  battle  of 
Fredericksburg  he  saw  an  officer,  wrapped  in  his  over- 
coat so  that  his  marks  of  rank  could  not  be  seen,  lying 
just  in  the  rear  of  a  battery,  quietly  reading  his  Bible. 
He  approached  and  entered  into  conversation  on  the 
prospects  of  the  impending  battle,  but  the  officer  soon 
changed  the  conversation  to  religious  topics,  and  the 
chaplain  was  led  to  ask,  "  Of  what  regiment  are 
you  chaplain?"  What  w^as  his  astonishment  to  find 
that  the  quiet  Bible-reader  and  fluent  talker  upon  re- 
ligious subjects  was  none  other  than  the  famous 
Stonew^all  Jackson. 

During  one  of  his  battles,  while  he  was  waiting  in 
the  rear  of  a  part  of  his  command  which  he  had  put 
in  position  to  engage  the  attention  of  the  enemy  while 
another  division  had  been  sent  to  flank  them,  a  young 
officer  on  his  staff  gave  him  a  copy  of  the  sketch  of 
"  Captain  Dabney  Carr  Harrison,"  a  young  Presbyte- 
rian minister,  widely  known  and  loved  in  Virginia, 
who  had  been  killed  at  Fort  Donelson.  He  expressed 
himself  as  highly  gratified  at  getting  the  sketch,  and 
entered  into  an  earnest  conversation  on  tlie  power  of 
Christian  example.  He  Avas  interrupted  by  an  officer, 
w4)o  reported  "  the  enemy  advancing,"  but  paused  only 
long  enough  to  give  the  laconic  order, "  Open  on  them," 
and  then  resumed  the  conversation,  which  he  contin- 


384     LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

ued  for  some  time,  only  pausing  now  and  then  to  re- 
ceive despatches  and  give  necessary  orders. 

General  Jackson's  views  on  the  work  of  the  spirit- 
ual improvement  of  his  army,  which  so  absorbed  his 
heart  and  labors  the  last  winter  of  his  life,  are  ex- 
pressed in  a  letter  to  his  pastor,  in  which  he  says  : 

"  You  suggest  that  I  give  my  views  and  wishes  in 
such  form  and  extent  as  I  am  willing  should  be  made 
public.  This  I  shrink  from  doing,  because  it  looks  like 
presumption  in  me  to  come  before  the  public  and  even 
intimate  what  course  I  think  should  be  pursued  by  the 
people  of  God.  I  have  had  so  little  experience  in 
church  matters  as  to  make  it  proper,  it  seems  to  me, 
to  keep  quiet  beyond  the  expression  of  my  views  to 
friends.  Whilst  I  feel  that  this  is  the  proper  course 
for  me  to  pursue,  and  the  one  which  is  congenial  to 
my  feelings,  yet  if  you  and  Colonel  Preston,  Avho  have 
both  had  large  experience  in  the  church,  after  prayer- 
ful consideration,  are  of  opinion  that  my  name,  in  con- 
nection  with  my  wishes,  will  be  the  means  of  doing 
good,  I  do  not  desire  any  sensibility  that  I  may  have 
to  be  a  drawback  in  the  way.  I  desire  myself  and  all 
that  I  have  to  be  dedicated  to  the  service  of  God.  .  .  . 
After  maturely  considering  what  I  write,  and  after 
prayerful  consultation  between  yourself  and  Colonel 
Preston,  you  can  with  propriety  publish,  should  you 
think  best,  anything  I  iiuiy  have  said,  icithoiit  saying 
that  such  was  my  vieio. 

"  My  views  are  summed  up  in  these  few  words  : 
Each  Christian  branch  of  the  Cluu'cli  should  send 
into  the  army  some  of  its  most  prominent  ministers, 
who   are   distinguished  for   their  piety,  talents,  and 


CHAPLAINS  IX   THE   ARMY.  385 

zeal ;  and  such  ministers  should  labor  to  produce  con- 
cert of  action  among  chaplains  and  Christians  in  the 
army.  These  ministers  should  give  special  attention 
to  preaching  to  regiments  which  are  without  chap- 
lains, and  induce  them  to  take  steps  to  get  cliaplains; 
to  let  the  regiments  name  the  denomination  from 
which  they  desire  chaplains  selected  ;  and  then  to  see 
that  suitable  chaplains  are  secured.  A  bad  selection 
of  a  chaplain  may  prove  a  curse  instead  of  a  blessing. 
If  a  few  prominent  ministers  thus  connected  with 
each  army  would  cordially  co-operate,  I  believe  that 
glorious  fruits  would  be  the  result.  Denominational 
distinctions  should  be  kept  out  of  view,  and  not 
touched  upon ;  and,  as  a  general  rule,  I  do  not  think 
that  a  chaplain  who  would  preach  denominational 
sermons  should  be  in  the  army.  His  congregation  is 
his  regiment,  and  it  is  composed  of  persons  of  various 
denominations.  I  would  like  to  see  no  questions 
asked  in  the  army  as  to  what  denomination  a  chap- 
lain belongs ;  but  let  the  question  be, '  Does  he  preach 
the  Gospel  V  The  neglect  of  spiritual  interests  in  the 
army  may  be  partiall}'  seen  in  the  fact  that  not  half 
of  my  regiments  have  chaplains." 

General  Jackson  selected  the  Rev.  Dr.  B.  T.  Lacy 
(who  was  commissioned  by  the  government  as  a 
general  chaplain)  to  begin  this  plan  of  labor,  and  it 
proved  very  successful.  His  mission  was  to  preach  at 
headquarters  every  Sabbath  while  the  troops  were 
in  camp.  A  temporary  pulpit  and  rough  seats  Avere 
constructed  in  an  open  field,  and  here  all  were  invited 
to  come  and  worship.  Dr.  Lacy  was  an  able  speak- 
er, attractive  and  interesting ;  and  the  constant  at- 
25 


386  LIFE   OF  GENERAL   THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

tendance  of  General  Jackson  and  frequent  appear- 
ance of  General  Lee  and  other  distinguished  officers 
soon  drew  vast  crowds  of  soldiers  to  the  scene,  and 
man}'^  became  changed  men.  General  Jackson  often 
seated  himself  in  the  ranks,  in  the  midst  of  his  hum- 
blest soldiers,  setting  them  an  example  by  his  devout 
attention  and  delight  in  the  services,  and,  by  his  per- 
sonal interest,  leading  them  to  follow  the  great  Cap- 
tain of  their  salvation.  He  requested  all  the  chaplains 
and  evangelists  in  his  corps  to  meet  together  weekly 
for  conference  over  their  duties,  and  to  report  the 
progress  of  their  labors.  His  sense  of  delicacy  for- 
bade his  own  attendance  on  these  meetings,  but  he 
manifested  the  liveliest  interest  in  them  —  always 
greeting  Dr.  Lacy  upon  his  return  from  the  meetings 
in  his  accustomed  military  style,  saying  to  him : 
"  Now  come  and  report,"  "  The  stated  meetings  of 
the  chaplains,"  says  Dr.  Dabney,  "  were  the  means  of 
awakening  them  to  a  greatly  increased  zeal  and  fidel- 
ity, as  well  as  of  adding  system  and  concert  to  their 
labors,  so  that  this  service  was  now  thoroughly  reno- 
vated. Thus  the  energy  of  General  Jackson's  will, 
though  so  modestly  exerted,  made  itself  felt  among 
his  chaplains,  just  as  among  his  staff  and  field  officers, 
in  communicating  efficiency  and  vigor  to  all  their 
performance  of  duty." 

The  Stonewall  Brigade  was  the  fii'st  to  build  a  log 
chapel,  which  was  formally  dedicated  to  the  service 
of  God.  Others  soon  followed  the  example,  and,  tiius 
protected  against  tlie  rigors  of  winter,  the  soldiers 
frequently  met  during  the  week  foi-  ])rMyer,  ]iraise, 
and  Bible  instruction — the  sacred  pages  being  illumi- 
nated by  pine  torches  from  the  forest.    General  Jack- 


WORSHIP    IN    THE  OPEN   AIR.  337 

son  often  attended  these  meetings,  and  led  in  humble, 
earnest  prayer. 

General  J.  B.  Gordon,  the  late  Governor  of  Georgia, 
and  now  for  the  second  time  representing  his  State 
in  the  United  States  Senate,  testifies  to  the  good 
wrought  by  these  services  in  the  army.  In  a  letter 
appealing  for  chaplains  to  be  sent  by  the  churches, 
he  says :  "  Daily  in  the  great  temple  of  nature,  and 
at  night  by  heaven's  chandeliers,  are  audiences  of 
from  one  to  two  thousand  men  anxious  to  hear  the 
way  of  life.  Many  of  them,  neglected,  as  I  must  say 
they  have  been  by  Christians  at  home,  are  daily  pro- 
fessing religion  —  men  grown  old  in  sin,  and  who 
never  blanched  in  the  presence  of  the  foe,  are  made 
to  tremble  under  a  sense  of  guilt,  and  here  in  the 
forests  and  fields  are  being  converted  to  God ;  young 
men,  over  whose  departure  from  the  paternal  roof 
and  from  pious  influences  have  been  shed  so  many 
bitter  tears,  have  been  enabled,  under  the  preaching 
of  a  few  faithful  ministers,  to  give  parents  and  friends 
at  home  such  assurances  as  to  change  those  hitter 
tears  into  tears  of  rejoicing." 

General  Jackson  had  one  other  project  for  the 
spiritual  welfare  of  his  country,  Avhich  was  the  estab- 
lishment of  a  Christian  daily  newspaper.  His  views 
on  this  subject  will  be  seen  in  the  following  letter  to 
his  father-in-law : 

"  Near  Fredericksburg,  March  28th,  1863. 
"  Eev.  Dr.  R.  H.  Morrison  : 

"  Dear  Sir, — Knowing  that  you  take  a  deep  interest 
in  the  progress  of  the  church,  I  write  to  say  that  on 
yesterday  the  proclamation  of  our  President  for  a 


388      LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSOX. 

day  of  humiliation  and  prayer  received  in  the  army 
a  more  general  response  than  I  have  seen  on  any 
similar  occasion  since  the  beginning  of  the  war.  .  .  . 
It  was  arranged  among  the  chaplains  that  each  one 
of  them  should  preach  twice  yesterday — once  to  their 
own  troops,  and  once  to  other  troops,  thus  giving  an 
opportunity  of  having  the  Gospel  preached  as  exten- 
sively as  practicable.  I  trust  that  yesterday  was  a 
solemn  day  throughout  the  Confederacy,  and  hope 
its  good  fruits  will  be  abundant,  and  that  God  in 
His  mercy  will  give  us  a  speedy  peace,  so  marked 
by  His  interposing  hand  that  all  shall  recognize  and 
acknowledge  it  as  His  gift, 

"  I  feel  a  deep  interest  in  seeing  a  Christian  daily 
paper  established.  I  believe  there  is  not  a  single  daily 
paper  in  the  countr}'  but  which  violates  the  Sabbath 
by  printing  on  that  holy  day  for  its  Monda3^'s  issue. 
I  have  thought  upon  this  subject  for  several  years,  and 
it  appears  to  me  that  now  is  a  good  time  to  start 
such  a  paper  whilst  our  country  is  in  trouble,  and  is 
looking:  to  God  for  assistance.  How  can  we  consist- 
ently  ask  God  to  bless  us  when  we  continue  to  en- 
courage, for  the  gratification  of  curiosity,  a  disregard 
for  His  holy  law  ?  Such  a  paper  as  it  appears  to  me 
is  demanded  would  give  us  as  early  news  as  is  at 
present  received  at  the  printing-office  on  Sunday,  as 
the  paper,  which  would  be  mailed  on  Monday,  would 
be  printed  on  Saturday  instead  of  Sunday.  If  such 
a  paper  could  be  established,  it  might  be  the  means 
of  influencing  the  future  course  of  our  country.  "What 
do  you  think  of  such  an  undertaking  ? 
"Very  truly  yours, 

"  T.  J.  Jackson." 


LETTER   ON   SUNDAY   MAILS.  389 

His  increasing  solicitude  for  the  spiritual  good  of  his 
country  is  shown  in  the  following  letter  to  Colonel 
Boteler  on  the  subject  of  Sabbath  mails.  These  views 
have  before  been  given ;  but  as  this  letter  w^as  per- 
haps his  last  appeal  on  the  subject,  this  fact  may  add 
more  weight  to  them  : 

"  I  have  read  the  Congressional  report  of  the  com- 
mittee recommending  the  repeal  of  the  law  requiring 
the  mails  to  be  carried  on  the  Sabbath;  and  I  hope 
that  you  will  feel  it  a  duty  as  well  as  a  pleasure  to 
urge  its  repeal.  I  do  not  see  how  a  nation  that  thus 
arrays  itself,  by  such  a  law,  against  God's  holy  day 
can  expect  to  escape  His  wrath.  The  punishment  of 
national  sins  must  be  confined  to  this  world,  as  there 
are  no  nationalities  beyond  the  grave.  For  fifteen 
years  I  have  refused  to  mail  letters  on  Sunday,  or  to 
take  them  out  of  the  office  on  that  day,  except  since 
I  came  into  the  field  ;  and,  so  far  from  having  to 
regret  my  course,  it  has  been  a  source  of  true  enjoy- 
ment. I  have  never  sustained  loss  in  observing  what 
God  enjoins ;  and  I  am  well  satisfied  that  the  law 
should  be  repealed  at  the  earliest  practicable  moment. 
My  rule  is,  to  let  the  Sabbath  mails  remain  unopened, 
unless  they  contain  a  despatch ;  but  despatches  are 
generally  sent  by  couriers  or  telegraph,  or  some  spe- 
cial messenger.  I  do  not  recollect  a  single  instance 
of  any  special  despatch  having  reached  me,  since  the 
commencement  of  the  war,  by  the  mails. 

"H  you  desire  the  repeal  of  the  law,  I  trust  3^ou 
will  bring  all  your  influence  to  bear  in  its  accomplish- 
ment. Now  is  the  time,  it  appears  to  me,  to  effect  so 
desirable  an  object.     I  understand  that  not  only  our 


390  LIFE   OF   GENERAL   THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

President,  but  also  most  of  his  Cabinet  and  a  ma- 
jority of  our  Congressmen  are  professing  Christians. 
God  has  greatly  blessed  us,  and  I  trust  He  will  make 
us  that  people  whose  God  is  the  Lord.  Let  us  look 
to  God  for  an  illustration  in  our  history  that  '  right- 
eousness exalteth  a  nation,  but  sin  is  a  reproach  to 
any  people.' 

"  Yery  truly  your  friend, 

"  T.  J.  Jackson." 

To  his  friend  Colonel  Preston,  of  Lexington,  he 
wrote  with  the  same  zeal,  saying : 

"  I  greatly  desire  to  see  peace — blessed  peace.  And 
I  am  persuaded  that  if  God's  people  throughout  the 
Confederacy  will  earnestly  and  perseveringly  unite  in 
imploring  His  interposition  for  peace,  we  may  expect 
it.  Let  our  government  acknowledge  the  God  of 
the  Bible  as  its  God,  and  we  may  expect  soon  to  be 
a  happy  and  independent  people.  It  appears  to  me 
that  extremes  are  to  be  avoided  ;  and  it  also  appears 
to  me  that  the  old  United  States  occupied  an  extreme 
position  in  the  means  it  took  to  prevent  the  union  of 
Church  and  State.  We  call  ourselves  a  Christian  peo- 
ple ;  and,  in  my  opinion,  our  government  may  be  of 
the  same  character,  without  connecting  itself  witli  an 
established  Church,  It  does  appear  to  me  that  as  our 
President,  our  Congress,  and  our  people  have  thanked 
God  for  victories,  and  prayed  to  Him  for  additional 
ones,  and  He  has  answered  such  prayers  and  gives  us 
a  government,  it  is  gross  ingratitude  not  to  acknowl- 
edge Him  in  this  gift.  Let  the  framework  of  our  gov- 
ernment show  that  we  are  not  ungrateful  to  Him." 


VISIT  OF   AN   ENGLISH  OFFICER.  391 

In  the  beginning  of  the  new  year,  Winchester  was 
again  occupied  by  the  Federals.  An  extract  from 
a  letter  to  his  helpful  friend,  Colonel  Boteler,  will 
show  General  Jackson's  great  concern  and  affection 
for  his  valley  friends : 

"  Though  I  have  been  relieved  from  command 
there,  and  may  never  again  be  assigned  to  that  im- 
portant trust,  yet  I  feel  deeply  when  I  see  the  patri- 
otic people  of  that  region  again  under  the  heel  of  a 
hateful  mihtary  despotism.  There  are  all  the  homes 
of  those  Avho  have  been  with  me  from  the  commence- 
ment of  the  war  in  Virginia ;  who  have  repeatedly 
left  their  families  and  homes  in  the  hands  of  the 
enemy,  and  braved  the  dangers  of  battle  and  disease ; 
and  there  are  those  who  have  so  devotedly  labored 
for  the  relief  of  our  suffering  sick  and  wounded." 

In  another  letter  to  the  same  friend,  he  says  :  "  It 
is  but  natural  that  I  should  feel  a  deep  and  abiding 
interest  in  the  people  of  the  valley,  where  are  the 
homes  of  so  many  of  my  brave  soldiers  Avho  have 
been  with  me  so  long,  and  whose  self-sacrificing 
patriotism  has  been  so  long  tested." 

During  this  winter  General  Jackson  received  a  visit 
from  a  captain  in  the  English  army,  who  wrote  an  ac- 
count of  it  for  an  English  paper  or  magazine,  from 
which  the  following  is  a  brief  extract : 

"  I  brought  from  Nassau  a  box  of  goods  for  General 
Stonewall  Jackson,  and  he  asked  me  when  I  was  at 
Eichmond  to  come  to  his  camp  and  see  him.  I  left 
the  city  one  morning  about  seven  o'clock,  and  about 


392     LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

ten  landed  at  a  station,  distant  some  eight  or  nine 
miles  from  Jackson's  (or,  as  his  men  call  him,  '  Old 
Jack's')  camp.  A  heav}'-  fall  of  snow  had  covered 
the  country  for  some  time  before  to  the  dejith  of  a 
foot,  and  formed  a  crust  over  the  Virginia  mud,  Avhich 
is  quite  as  villainous  as  that  of  Balaklava.  The  day 
before  had  been  mild  and  wet,  and  my  journey  was 
made  in  a  drenching  shower,  which  soon  cleared  a"\vay 
the  white  mantle  of  snow.  You  cannot  imagine  the 
slough  of  despond  I  had  to  pass  through.  Wet  to  the 
skin,  I  stumbled  through  mud,  I  waded  through  creeks, 
I  passed  through  pine  woods,  and  at  last  got  into  camp 
about  two  o'clock.  I  then  made  my  way  to  a  small 
house  occupied  by  the  general  as  his  headquarters.  I 
wrote  down  my  name  and  gave  it  to  the  orderly,  and 
I  was  immediately  told  to  walk  in. 

"  The  general  rose  and  greeted  me  Avarmly.  I  ex- 
pected to  see  an  old,  untidy  man,  and  was  most  agree- 
ably surprised  and  pleased  with  his  appearance.  He 
is  tall,  handsome,  and  powerfull}^  built,  but  thin.  He 
has  brown  hair  and  a  brown  beard.  His  mouth  ex- 
presses great  determination.  The  lips  are  thin  and 
compressed  firmly  together;  his  eyes  are  blue  and 
dark,  with  keen  and  searching  expression.  I  was  told 
that  his  age  was  thirty-eight ;  and  he  looks  forty. 
'  The  general,  who  is  indescribably  simple  and  unaf- 
fected in  all  his  ways,  took  off  my  wet  overcoat  with 
his  own  hands,  made  up  the  fire,  brought  wood  for 
me  to  put  my  feet  on  to  keep  them  warm  while  my 
boots  were  drying,  and  then  began  to  ask  me  ques- 
tions on  various  subjects.  At  the  dinner-hour  we 
Avent  out  and  joined  the  members  of  his  staff.  At 
this  meal  the  general  said  grace  in  a  fervent,  quiet 


THE  OFFICER'S   IMPRESSIONS.  393 

manner,  which  struck  me  very  much.  After  dinner 
I  returned  to  his  room,  and  he  again  talked  for  a  long 
time.  The  servant  came  in  and  took  his  mattress  out 
of  a  cupboard  and  laid  it  on  the  floor. 

"  As  I  rose  to  retire,  the  general  said :  '  Captain, 
there  is  plenty  of  room  on  my  bed ;  I  hope  you  will 
share  it  with  me.'  I  thanked  him  very  mucli  for  his 
courtesy,  but  said,  '  Good-night,'  and  slept  in  a  tent, 
sharing  the  blankets  of  one  of  his  aides-de-camp.  In 
the  morning,  at  breakfast-time,  I  noticed  that  the 
general  said  grace  before  the  meal  with  the  same 
fervor  I  had  remarked  before.  An  hour  or  two  after- 
Avards  it  was  time  for  me  to  return  to  the  station  ;  on 
this  occasion,  however,  I  had  a  horse,  and  I  returned 
up  to  the  general's  headquarters  to  bid  him  adieu. 
His  little  room  was  vacant,  so  I  stepped  in  and  stood 
before  the  fire.  I  then  noticed  my  great-coat  stretched 
before  it  on  a  chair.  Shortly  afterwards  the  general 
entered  the  room.  He  said :  '  Captain,  I  have  been 
trying  to  dry  your  great-coat,  but  I  am  afraid  I  have 
not  succeeded  very  well.'  That  little  act  illustrates 
the  man's  character.  With  the  care  and  responsi- 
bilities of  a  vast  army  on  his  shoulders,  he  finds  time 
to  do  little  acts  of  kindness  and  thoughtfulness,  which 
make  him  the  darling  of  his  men,  who  never  seem  to 
tire  talking  of  him. 

"  General  Jackson  is  a  man  of  great  endurance ;  he 
drinks  nothing  stronger  than  water,  and  never  uses  to- 
bacco or  any  stimulant.  He  has  been  known  to  ride  for 
three  days  and  nights  at  a  time,  and  if  there  is  any  labor 
to  be  undergone  he  never  fails  to  take  his  share  of  it." 

During  this  winter,  at  Moss  Neck,  General  Jack- 


394  LIFE   OF   GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

son's  Christian  activity  ana  spirituality  became  more 
marked  than  ever  before,  showing  a  rich  ripening  for 
the  rewards  and  glories  of  the  heavenly  inheritance. 
To  a  friend  he  expressed  his  perfect  assurance  of  faith, 
and  said  he  had  been  for  a  long  time  a  stranger  to 
fear,  "  because  he  'knew  and  was  assured  of  the  love  of 
Christ  to  his  soul ;  he  felt  not  the  faintest  dread  that 
he  should  ever  fall  under  the  wrath  of  God,  although 
a  great  sinner;  he  was  forever  reconciled  by  the 
righteousness  of  Christ,  and  that  love  for  God  and 
Christ  was  now  the  practical  spring  of  all  his  peni- 
tence." He  then  arose  from  his  seat,  and  with  an 
impressive  union  of  humility  and  solemn  elevation 
continued,  in  substance,  thus  :  "  Nothing  earthly  can 
mar  ray  happiness.  I  know  that  heaven  is  in  store  for 
me  ;  and  I  should  rejoice  in  the  prospect  of  going 
there  to-morrow.  Understand  me :  I  am  not  sick,  I 
am  not  sad ;  God  has  greatly  blessed  me ;  I  have  as 
much  to  love  here  as  any  man,  and  life  is  very  bright 
to  me.  But  still  I  am  ready  to  leave  it  any  day, 
without  trepidation  or  regret,  for  that  heaven  which 
I  know  awaits  me,  through  the  mercy  of  my  Heavenly 
Father.  And  I  would  not  agree  to  the  slightest  diminu- 
tion of  one  shade  of  my  glory  there — [here  he  paused, 
as  though  to  consider  what  terrestrial  measure  he  might 
best  select  to  express  the  largeness  of  his  joys] — no, 
not  for  all  the  fame  I  have  acquired  or  shall  ever  win 
in  this  world."  Witli  these  words  he  sank  int(^  his 
chair,  and  his  friend  retired,  impressed  as  he  had  never 
been  before  by  the  exalted  faith  and  perfect  assurance 
that  God  had  vouchsafed  to  this  Christian  soldier. 

All  his  Christian  friends  observed  this  winter  how 
mucii  Ills  mind  dwelt  upon  sj)iritual  matters,  his  con- 


Ills  FONDNESS   FOR  A   CHILD.  395 

versation  almost  invariably  drifting  into  that  channel; 
and  his  favorite  subjects  were  steadfastness  of  faith, 
diligent  performance  of  duty,  after  invoking  God's 
blessing  and  committing  our  cause  to  Him,  and  yield- 
ing a  perfect  obedience  to  Plis  will.  He  loved  to  con- 
sider the  modes  by  which  God  reveals  His  will  to  man, 
and  often  quoted  the  maxim,  "  Duty  is  ours  ;  conse- 
quences are  God's."  It  was  a  continued  delight  to  him 
to  dwell  upon  the  blessedness  of  perfect  acquiescence 
in  the  Divine  will.  He  frequently  said  that  his  first 
desire  was  to  command  a  "  converted  army." 

But  while  thus  desiring  and  striving  for  the  spiritual 
good  of  his  men,  his  diligence  was  also  unremitting  in 
training  and  strengthening  his  corps  for  active  service 
in  the  coming  campaign,  and  it  increased  in  efficiency 
and  numbers  more  than  at  any  former  period.  It  was 
brought  up  to  number  over  thirty  thousand  active  sol- 
diers, who  drew  their  inspiration  from  his  own  spirit 
of  confidence  and  determination. 

In  the  family  of  Mr.  Corbin,  of  Moss  Neck,  was  a 
lovely  little  girl,  about  six  years  of  age,  named  Jane, 
who  became  a  special  pet  with  General  Jackson.  Her 
pretty  face  and  winsome  ways  were  so  charming  to 
him  that  he  requested  her  mother  as  a  favor  that  he 
might  have  a  visit  from  her  every  afternoon  when  his 
day's  labors  were  over,  and  her  innocent  companion- 
ship and  sweet  prattle  were  a  great  pleasure  and  recre- 
ation to  him.  He  loved  to  hold  her  upon  his  knee, 
and  sometimes  he  played  and  romped  with  her,  his 
hearty  laughter  mingling  merrily  with  that  of  the 
child.  He  always  had  some  little  treat  in  store  for  her 
as  she  came  each  day- -an  orancre,  an  apple,  candy  or 
cake;  but  the  supply  of  sucii  things  becoming  exhaust- 


396  LIt'E   OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

ed  in  his  scanty  quarters,  one  afternoon  he  found 
he  had  nothing  tempting  to  offer  her,  and  in  glanc- 
ing around  the  room  his  eye  fell  upon  a  new  gray 
cap  which  he  had  just  received  from  his  wife,  and 
Avhich  was  ornamented  with  a  simple  band  of  gilt 
braid — the  most  modest  mark  of  his  rank  that  a  field 
officer  could  wear.  Taking  up  this  cap,  with  his  knife 
he  ripped  off  the  band,  and  encircling  it  around  little 
Janie's  fair  head,  he  stood  off  admiringly,  and  said : 
"  This  shall  be  j'-our  coronet !" 

This  little  one  of  tender  years  was  destined  to  pre- 
cede her  friend  to  the  "  land  of  pure  delight."  The 
very  day  of  his  removal  from  Moss  Neck  she  died. 
His  aide,  Mr.  Smith,  said :  "  We  learned  of  Janie's 
death  after  we  reached  our  new  camp,  near  Yerby's, 
and  when  I  went  in  to  tell  the  general,  he  was  much 
moved,  and  wept  freely.  Afterwards  he  requested  me 
to  ride  back  to  Moss  Neck  that  night  to  express  his 
sympath}^,  and  to  remain  to  be  of  any  service  that  I 
could  to  the  family." 

General  Jackson  himself  thus  alludes  to  the  death 
of  his  little  favorite  in  one  of  his  letters :  "  I  never 
wrote  you  about  the  bereavement  of  my  kind  friend 
Mrs.  Corbin.  She  had  an  only  daughter,  probably 
about  five  or  six  years  old,  and  one  of  the  most  at- 
tractive, if  not  the  most  so,  that  I  ever  saw  at  that 
age.  A  short  time  before  I  left  there,  the  little  girl 
was  taken  sick  with  scarlet  fever,  but  appeared  to  be 
doing  well.  I  called  to  see  Mrs.  Corbin  the  evening 
before  leaving,  and  talked  to  her  of  her  little  daugh- 
ter, whom  I  supposed  to  be  out  of  danger,  and  she  too 
appeared  to  think  so;  but  the  next  morning  she  was 
taken  very  ill,  and  in  a  few  hours  died  of  malignant 


DEATH   OF   HIS   LITTLE   FAVORITE.  397 

scarlet  fever.  There  were  two  other  little  children, 
cousins  of  little  Janie,  who  were  staying  at  the  same 
house,  and  both  of  them  died  of  the  same  disease  in  a 
few  days."  He  was  led  to  speak  of  these  deaths  by 
hearing  of  the  loss  of  my  sister  Mrs.  Avery's  first- 
born, of  which  he  says:  ''We  can  sympathize  with 
her,  and  I  wish  I  could  comfort  her,  but  no  human 
comfort  can  fully  meet  her  case ;  only  the  Redeemer 
can,  and  I  trust  that  she  finds  Jesus  precious,  most 
precious,  in  this  her  sad  hour  of  trial.  Give  ray  ten- 
derest  love  and  sympathy  to  her." 

About  this  time  his  own  little  daughter  had  a  severe 
case  of  chicken-pox,  and  his  parental  anxieties  were 
greatly  awakened.  In  his  desire  to  render  all  the  aid 
he  could,  even  at  so  great  a  distance,  he  consulted  his 
medical  director.  Dr.  McGuire,  that  he  might  write 
his  wife  the  advice  prescribed.  His  tendey  devotion 
to  the  little  daughter  whom  he  had  never  seen  was 
surprising  to  the  young  doctor,  and  his  voice  quivered 
with  agitation  as  he  said  on  leaving  him,  "  I  do  wish 
that  dear  child,  if  it  is  God's  will,  to  be  spared  to  us.'' 
The  following  extracts  from  his  letters  testify  to 
this  same  paternal  interest  and  affection,  and  also  re- 
veal his  ever-increasing  spiritual  joy  and  gratitude : 

"January  5tli,  1863. 
..."  How  much  I  do  want  to  see  you  and  our 
darling  baby !  But  I  don't  know  when  I  shall  have 
this  happiness,  as  I  am  afraid,  since  hearing  so  much 
about  the  little  one's  health,  that  it  would  be  impru- 
dent to  bring  it  upon  a  journey,  so  I  must  just  con- 
tent myself.  Mrs.  General  Longstreet,  Mrs.  General 
A.  P.  Hill,  and  Mrs.  General  Rodes  have  all  been  to 


398  LIFE   OF  GENERAL   THOMAS   J.  JACKSON. 

see  their  husbands.  Yesterday  1  saw  Mrs.  Rodes 
at  church,  and  she  looked  so  happy  that  it  made 
me  wish  I  had  Mrs.  Jackson  here  too ;  but  whilst  I 
cannot  see  my  wife  and  baby,  it  is  a  great  comfort 
to  know  that  you  have  a  darling  little  pet  to  keep 
you  company  in  ray  absence.  ...  I  heard  a  good  ser- 
mon at  Grace  Church  (where  General  Hill  has  his 
headquarters)  by  an  Episcopal  minister,  Mr.  Friend. 
Colonel  Faulkner  is  with  us  again,  and  I  expect  him 
to  take  the  position  of  my  senior  adjutant-general." 

"January  6th.     I  am  very  thankful  to  our  kind 
Heavenly  Father  for  good  tidings  from  you  and  baby 
— specially  that  she  is  restored  again  to  health,  and  I 
trust  that  we  all  three  may  so  live  as  most  to  glorify 
His  holy  name.  ...  I  have  a  visor,  but  I  hope  I  shall 
not  have  to  sleep  in  a  tent  any  more  this  winter.    My 
ears  are  still  troubling  me,  but  I  am  very  thankful 
that  my  hearing  is  as  good  as  usual,  and  from  my  ap- 
pearance one  would  suppose  that  I  was  perfectly  well. 
Indeed,  my  health  is  essentially  good,  but  I  do  not 
think  I  shall  be  able  in  future  to  stand  what  I  have 
already  stood,  although,  with  the  exception  of  the  in- 
creased sensitiveness  of  my  ears,  my  health  has  im- 
proved.   I  am  sorry  to  hear  that  dear  mother's  health 
does  not  improve.  .  .  .  We  have  several  cases  of  small- 
pox at  Guiney's,  and  I  expect  you  will  have  to  give  up 
all  idea  of  coming  to  see  me  until  spring,  as  I  fear  it 
would  be  too  much  of  a  risk  for  you  and  baby  to  travel 
up  here. 

"The  other  day  I  received  from  the  citizens  of 
Augusta  County  a  magnificent  horse,  with  an  excel- 
lent saddle  and  bridle.    It  is  the  most  complete  riding 


LETTER  TO  HIS  WIFE.  399 

equipment  that  I  have  seen.  My  kind  friends  went  so 
far  as  to  get  patent  stirrups,  constructed  so  as  to  open 
and  throw  the  foot  from  the  stirrup  in  the  event  of 
the  rider  being  thrown  and  the  foot  hung  in  the  stir- 
rups. How  kind  is  God  to  us  !  Oh  that  I  were  more 
grateful !" 

"  January  17th.  Yesterday  I  had  the  pleasure  of 
receiving  a  letter  from  my  espos'da  four  days  after  it 
was  written.  Doesn't  it  look  as  if  Confederate  mails 
are  better  than  United  States  mails?  Don't  you  re- 
member how  long  it  took  for  letters  to  come  from 
Charlotte  to  Lexington  under  the  old  regime  f  I  de- 
rive an  additional  pleasure  in  reading  a  letter  from  the 
conviction  that  it  has  not  travelled  on  the  Sabbath. 
How  delightful  will  be  our  heavenly  home,  where 
everything  is  sanctified !  .  .  .  I  am  gratified  at  hear- 
ing that  you  have  commenced  disciplining  the  baby. 
Now  be  careful,  and  don't  let  her  conquer  you.  She 
must  not  be  permitted  to  have  that  will  of  her  own,  of 
which  you  speak.  How  I  would  love  to  see  the  little 
darling,  whom  I  love  so  tenderly,  though  I  have  never 
seen  her ;  and  if  the  war  were  only  over,  I  tell  you,  I 
would  hurry  down  to  North  Carolina  to  see  my  wife 
and  baby.  I  have  much  work  to  do.  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Faulkner  is  of  great  service  to  me  in  making 
out  my  reports.  Since  he  is  my  senior  adjutant-gen- 
eral, Pendleton  is  promoted  to  a  majority,  and  is  the 
junior  adjutant-general.  Major  Bier,  my  chief  of  ord- 
nance, lias  been  ordered  to  Charleston,  and  Captain 
William  Allan,  of  Winchester,  is  his  successor.  Colonel 
Smeade  is  my  inspector-general,  so  you  must  not  com- 
plain of  my  not  writing  to  you  about  my  staff.     I  re- 


400     LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSOX. 

gret  to  see  our  Winchester  friends  again  in  the  hands 
of  the  enemy.  I  trust  that,  in  answer  to  prayer,  our 
country  will  soon  be  blessed  with  peace.  If  we  were 
only  that  obedient  people  that  we  should  be,  I  would, 
"with  increased  confidence,  look  for  a  speedy  termina- 
tion of  hostilities.  Let  us  pray  more  and  live  more  to 
the  glory  of  God.  ...  I  am  still  thinking  and  think- 
ing about  that  baby,  and  do  want  to  see  her.  Can't 
you  send  her  to  me  by  express  ?  There  is  an  express 
line  all  the  way  to  Guiney's.  I  am  glad  to  hear  that 
she  sleeps  well  at  night,  and  doesn't  disturb  her  moth- 
er. But  it  would  be  better  not  to  call  her  a  cherub  ;  no 
earthly  being  is  such.  I  am  also  gratitied  that  Hetty 
is  doing  well.  Remember  me  to  her,  and  tell  her  that, 
as  I  didn't  give  her  a  present  last  Christmas,  I  intend 
giving  her  two  next.  .  .  .  Don't  you  accuse  my  baby  of 
not  being  hrave.  I  do  hope  she  will  get  over  her  fear 
of  strangers.  If,  before  strangers  take  her,  you  would 
give  them  something  to  please  her,  and  thus  make  her 
have  pleasant  associations  with  them,  and  seeing  them 
frequently,  I  trust  she  would  lose  her  timidity.  It  is 
gratifying  that  she  is  growing  so  well,  and  I  am  thank- 
ful she  is  so  bright  and  knowing'.  I  do  wish  I  could 
see  her  funny  little  ways,  and  hear  her  'squeal  out 
with  delight'  at  seeing  the  little  chickens.  I  am  some- 
times  afraid  that  you  will  make  such  an  idol  of  that 
baby  that  God  will  take  her  from  us.  Are  you  not 
afraid  of  it  ?     Kiss  lier  for  hei*  father. 

"I  have  tliis  morning  received  two  presents — a 
pair  of  gauntlets  from  near  the  Potomac,  and  another 
beautiful  pair  from  JMrs.  Preston  Trotter,  of  Browns- 
burg.  A  kind  gentleman,  Mr.  Stejihens,  of  Nelson 
County,  sent  me  a  barrel  of  select  pij)pins.'' 


TUE  STONEWALL  BRIGADE  BUILDS  A  LOG  CHURCH.     401 

"January  31st.  Captain  Bushby,  of  the  Eritish 
Army,  called  to  see  me  to-day,  and  presented  me 
with  a  water-proof  oil-cloth  case  in  which  to  sleep  on 
a  wet  night  in  summer  campaigning.  I  can  encase 
myself  m  it,  keep  dry,  and  get  a  good  night's  sleep." 

"  February  3d.    In  answer  to  the  prayers  of  God's 
people,  I  trust  He  will  soon  give  us  peace.     I  haven't 
seen  my  wife  for  nearly  a  year-my  home  in  nearly 
two  years,  and  have   never  seen   our  darling  little 
daughter;   but  it  is  important  that   I,  and  those  at 
headquarters,  should  set  an  example  of  remaining  at 
the  post  of  duty.     Joseph  would  like  very  much  to 
go  home,  but  unless  mother  gets  worse,  he  had  better 
not.  ...  My  old  Stonewall  Brigade  has  built  a  loo- 
church.     As  yet  I  have  not  been  in  it.     I  am  much 
interested  in  reading  Hunter's  '  Life  of  Moses  '     It  is 
a  delightful  book,  and  I  feel  more  improved  in  read- 
ing it  than  by  an  ordinary  sermon.     I  am  thankful 
to  say  that  my  Sabbaths  are  passed  more  in  medi- 
tation than  formerly.      Time  thus   spent  is  genuine 
enjoyment." 

"February  7th.  This  has  been  a  beautiful  spring 
day.  I  have  been  thinking  lately  about  gardenino- 
If  I  were  at  home,  it  would  be  time  for  me  to  beo-hi 
to  prepare  the  hot-bed.  Don't  you  remember  what 
interest  we  used  to  take  in  our  hot-bed  ?  If  we  should 
be  privileged  to  return  to  our  old  home,  I  expect  wp 
would  find  many  changes.  An  ever-kind  Providence 
IS  showering  blessings  down  upon  me.  Yesterdav 
Colonel  M.  G.  Ilarman  and  Mr.  William  J.  BeU,  jun" 
of  Staunton,  presented  me  with  an  excellent  horse' 
26 


402  LIFE   OF   GENERAL   THOMAS  J,  JACKSON. 

As  yet  I  have  not  mounted  him,  but  I  saw  another 
person  ride  him,  and  I  hope  soon  to  have  that  pleasure 
myself.  .  .  .  Just  to  think  our  baby  is  nearly  three 
months  old.  Does  she  notice  and  laugh  much  ?  You 
have  never  told  me  how  much  she  looks  like  her  mother. 
I  tell  you,  I  want  to  know  how  she  looks.  If  you  could 
hear  me  talking  to  my  esposa  in  the  mornings  and 
evenings,  it  would  make  you  laugh,  I'm  sure.  It  is 
funny  the  way  I  talk  to  her  when  she  is  hundreds  of 
miles  away.  .  .  .  Jim  has  returned  from  Lexington, 
and  brought  a  letter  from  '  Cy '  [a  negro  servant], 
asking  permission  to  take  unto  himself  a  wife,  to 
which  I  intend  to  give  my  consent,  provided  you  or 
his  mother  do  not  object.  ...  I  am  so  much  con- 
cerned about  mother's  health  as  to  induce  me  to  rec- 
ommend a  leave  of  absence  for  Joseph.  I  send  this 
note  by  him,  and  also  send  the  baby  a  silk  handker- 
chief. I  have  thought  that  as  it  is  brightly  colored, 
it  might  attract  her  attention.  Remember,  it  is  her 
first  present  from  her  father,  and  let  me  know  if 
she  notices  it."  [This  handkerchief  has  ever  since 
been  sacredly  preserved  as  a  precious  relic] 

"  February  14th.  Your  delightful  letter  of  six  pages 
received  a  welcome  reception  this  evening.  I  am 
thankful  to  see  that  our  kind  Heavenly  Father  is 
airain  restoring  mother  to  health.  I  felt  uneasv  about 
her,  and  thought  that  Joseph  had  better  make  a 
visit  home.  I  have  made  the  restoration  of  mother's 
health  a  subject  of  prayer ;  but  tlien  we  know  that 
our  dear  ones  are  mortal,  and  tiiat  God  does  not 
always  answer  jmiyer  according  to  our  erring  feel- 
ings.    I  think  that  if,  when  we  see  ourselves  in  a 


LETTER  TO    IIIS   WIFE.  403 

glass,  we  should  consider  that  all  of  us  that  is  visible 
must  turn  to  corruption  and  dust,  we  would  learn 
more  justly  to  appreciate  the  relative  importance  of 
the  body  that  perishes  and  the  soul  that  is  immortal. 
.  .  .  Your  accounts  of  baby  are  very  gratifying,  and 
intensify  my  desire  to  see  her.  If  peace  is  not  con- 
cluded before  next  winter,  I  do  hope  you  can  bring 
her  and  spend  the  winter  with  me.  This  would  be 
very  delightful.  If  we  are  spared,  I  trust  an  ever- 
kind  Providence  will  enable  us  to  be  together  all 
winter.  I  am  glad  little  Juha  was  pleased  with  her 
present,  and  wish  I  could  have  seen  her  laugh.  .  .  . 
You  say  you  don't  see  any  use  of  my  not  taking  a 
furlough.  I  think  that  the  army  would  be  much  more 
efficient  if  all  belonging  to  it  were  present.  ...  I  do 
trust  and  pray  that  our  people  will  religiously  ob- 
serve the  2Tth  of  next  month  as  a  day  of  humiliation, 
prayer,  and  fasting,  as  our  President  has  designated 
in  his  proclamation.  To-morrow  is  the  Sabbath.  My 
Sabbaths  are  looked  forward  to  with  pleasure.  I 
don't  know  that  I  ever  enjoyed  Sabbaths  as  I  do  this 
winter.  ...  I  don't  think  I  have  written  you  about 
recent  presents.  About  a  week  since,  I  received  from 
Mr.  W.  F.  De  la  Rue,  of  London,  a  superb  English 
saddle,  bridle,  holsters,  saddle-cover,  blankets,  Avhip, 
spurs,  etc. — the  most  complete  riding  equipage  that  I 
have  seen  for  many  a  day.  Its  completeness  is  re- 
markable. This  evening  I  received  from  Mr.  John 
Johnson,  of  London,  a  box  containing  two  flannel 
shirts,  two  pairs  of  long  woollen  stockings  extending 
above  the  knees,  a  buckskin  shirt,  a  pair  of  boots,  a 
pair  of  leather  leggings  extending  about  eight  inches 
above  the  knees,  two  pairs  of  excellent  fitting  leather 


404  LIFE   OF    GENERAL   THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

gloves,  and  a  very  superior  variegated  colored  blanket. 
Our  ever-kind  Heavenly  Father  gives  me  friends 
among  strangers.  He  is  the  source  of  every  blessing, 
and  I  desire  to  be  more  grateful  to  Him." 

"  March  7th.  I  have  just  finished  my  report  of  the 
battle  of  McDowell.  .  .  .  There  is  a  good  deal  of  re- 
ligious interest  in  the  armv.  Rev.  Mr.  Lacy  is  with 
me  now,  and  I  expect  will  continue  with  the  army 
during  the  war.  Eev.  William  J.  Hoge  is  here,  and 
has  preached  several  sermons.  Eev.  Mr.  Hopkins  is 
chaplain  of  the  Second  Regiment  of  Virginia  Volun- 
teers. If  you  -were  here  you  would  find  a  number 
of  friends." 

"  March  14th.  The  time  has  about  come  for  cam- 
paigning, and  I  hope  early  next  week  to  leave  my 
room,  and  go  into  a  tent  near  Hamilton's  Crossing, 
which  is  on  the  railroad,  about  five  miles  from  Fred- 
ericksburg. It  is  rather  a  relief  to  get  where  there" 
will  be  less  comfort  than  in  a  room,  as  I  hope  thereby 
persons  will  be  prevented  from  encroaching  so  much 
upon  my  time.  I  am  greatly  behind  in  my  reports, 
and  am  very  desirous  to  get  through  with  them  before 
another  campaign  commences.  Do  you  remember 
when  my  little  \vife  used  to  come  up  to  my  head- 
quarters in  Winchester  and  talk  with  her  esposof 
I  would  love  to  see  her  sunny  face  peering  into  my 
room  again.  ...  On  next  Monday  there  is  to  be  a 
meeting  of  the  chaplains  of  my  corps,  and  I  pray 
that  good  may  result.  ...  I  am  now  in  camp,  but  I 
do  not  know  of  any  house  near  by  where  you  could 
be  accommodated,  should  you  come  ;  and,  moreover,  I 


HIS   FAVORITE   HYMNS.  405 

might  not  be  here  when  you  would  arrive,  as  the 
season  for  campaigning  has  come.  Before  this  time 
last  year,  the  campaign  had  begun,  and,  so  far  as  we 
can  see,  it  may  begin  again  at  any  time.  The  move- 
ments of  the  enemy  must  influence  ours,  and  we  can't 
say  where  we  shall  be  a  week  hence." 

"  April  10th.  I  trust  that  God  is  going  to  bless  us 
with  great  success,  and  in  such  a  manner  as  to  show 
that  it  is  all  His  gift ;  and  I  trust  and  pray  that  it 
will  lead  our  country  to  acknowledge  Him,  and  to 
live  in  accordance  with  His  will  as  revealed  in  the 
Bible.  There  appears  to  be  an  increased  religious 
interest  among  our  troops  here.  Our  chaplains  have 
weekly  meetings  on  Tuesdays;  and  the  one  of  this 
week  was  more  charming  than  the  preceding  one." 

After  removing  his  headquarters  to  Hamilton  Cross- 
ing, General  Jackson  established  an  altar  of  daily 
morning  prayer  in  his  military  family.  He  was  too 
liberal  and  unobtrusive  in  his  own  religion  to  exact 
compulsory  attendance  on  the  part  of  his  staff;  but 
their  regard  for  him  prompted  them  to  gratif}-  his 
wishes,  and  he  always  greeted  their  presence  with  a 
face  of  beaming  commendation.  He  appointed  his 
chaplain  to  officiate  at  these  services ;  but  if  he  was 
absent,  the  general  took  his  place  himself,  and  with 
the  greatest  fervor  and  humility  offered  uji  his  tribute 
of  praise  and  supplication.  Meetings  for  prayer  were 
held  at  his  quarters  twice  a  week,  on  Sunday  and 
Wednesday  evenings,  and  on  Sunday  afternoons  he 
loved  to  engage  the  musical  members  of  his  staff  in 
singing  sacred  songs,  to  which  he  listened  with  genu- 


406  LIFE   OF   GEXERAL  THOMAS   J.  JACKSON. 

ine  delight.     He  rarely  let  them  stop  without  calling 
for  the  hymn  beginning 

"  How  happy  are  they 
Wlio  tlie  Saviour  obey  !" 

Other  favorite  hymns  Avith  him  were : 

"  Come,  humble  sinner,  in  whose  breast 
A  thousand  thoughts  revolve." 

"  'Tis  my  happiness  below, 
Not  to  live  without  the  cross." 


And, 


When  gathering  clouds  around  I  view, 
And  days  are  dark  and  friends  are  few." 

"  Glorious  things  of  thee  are  spoken, 
Ziou,  city  of  our  God." 

[Sung  to  the  tune  of  Harwell. 


CHAPTER  XXL 

THE   LAST   HAPPY  DAYS.— CHANCELLORSVILLE— 1863. 

As  the  spring  advanced,  and  the  season  for  cam- 
paigning drew  nearer,  General  Jackson  grew  more 
and  more  anxious  to  have  a  visit  from  his  Avife  and 
child.  His  solicitous  consideration  for  the  health  and 
safety  of  the  little  one  had  led  him  to  advise  their  not 
travelling  until  the  winter  w^as  over ;  and  now  he 
showed  great  eagerness  to  have  a  visit  before  the  cam- 
paign should  open.     On  the  18th  of  April  he  wrote : 

...  "I  am  beginning  to  look  for  my  darling  and 
my  baby.  I  shouldn't  be  surprised  to  hear  at  any 
time  that  they  were  coming,  and  I  tell  you  there  would 
be  one  delighted  man.  Last  night  I  dreamed  that  my 
little  Avife  and  I  were  on  opposite  sides  of  a  room,  in 
the  centre  of  which  was  a  table,  and  the  little  baby 
started  from  her  mother,  making  her  Avay  along  under 
the  table,  and  finally  reached  her  father.  And  Avhat 
do  you  think  she  did  when  she  arrived  at  her  destina- 
tion? She  just  climbed  up  on  her  father  and  kissed 
him !  And  don't  you  think  he  was  a  happy  man  ?  But 
when  he  awoke  he  found  it  all  a  delusion.  I  am  glad 
to  hear  that  she  enjoys  out-doors,  and  grows,  and  coos, 
and  laughs.  How  I  Avould  love  to  see  her  sweet  ways ! 
That  her  little  chubby  hands  have  lost  their  resem- 
blance to  mine  is  not  regretted  by  me.  .  .  .  Should  I 


408  I>IFE   OF   GENERAL   THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

write  to  you  to  have  any  more  pantaloons  made  for 
me,  please  do  not  have  much  gold  braid  about  them. 
I  became  so  ashamed  of  the  broad  gilt  band  that  was 
on  the  cap  you  sent  as  to  induce  me  to  take  it  off.  I 
like  simplicity." 

"  Saturday.  Yesterday  I  received  your  letter,  but 
you  did  not  say  a  word  about  coming  to  see  your  es- 
poso.  I  do  hope  that  ere  this  you  have  received  mine, 
saying  you  could  come,  and  that  3'ou  at  once  got  an 
escort  and  started.  There  is  no  time  for  hesitation  if 
you  have  not  started.  There  is  increasing  probability 
that  I  may  be  elsewhere  as  the  season  advances.  But 
don't  come  unless  you  get  a  good  escort.  I  am  not 
certain  that  I  can  get  accommodations  for  you ;  but  I 
don't  think  there  will  be  any  difficulty  about  it,  as  I 
hope  some  kind  neighbor  would  try  to  make  us  com- 
fortable for  the  short  time  that  you  may  remain.  I 
think  that  we  might  get  in  at  Mr.  Yerby's,  which  is 
less  than  a  mile  from  my  headquarters." 

Little  Julia  was  nearly  five  months  old  now,  and 
was  plump,  rosy,  and  good,  and  with  her  nurse,  Hetty, 
we  set  out  upon  this  visit,  so  full  of  interest  and  antici- 
pated joys.  We  made  the  journey  safely,  stopping  in 
Richmond  to  spend  Sunday,  and  arrived  at  Guiney's 
Station  at  noon  on  Monday,  the  20th  of  April.  Hetty 
and  I  were  all  anxiety  to  have  our  baby  present  her 
best  appearance  for  her  father's  first  sight  of  her,  and 
she  couhl  not  have  better  realized  our  wishes.  She 
awoke  from  a  long,  refreshing  sleeji  just  before  the 
train  stopped,  and  never  looked  more  bi-ight  and  charm- 
ing.    When  he  entered  the  coach  to  receive  us,  his 


THE    FIRST  SIGHT  OF   HIS   CHILD.  409 

rubber  overcoat  was  dripping  from  the  rain  which 
Avas  falling,  but  his  face  was  all  sunshine  and  glad- 
ness ;  and,  after  greeting  his  wife,  it  was  a  picture, 
indeed,  to  see  his  look  of  perfect  delight  and  admira- 
tion as  his  eyes  fell  upon  that  baby !  She  was  at  the 
lovely,  smiling  age ;  and  catching  his  eager  look  of  su- 
preme interest  in  her,  she  beamed  her  brightest  and 
sweetest  smiles  upon  him  in  return,  so  it  seemed  to  be 
a  mutual  fascination.  He  was  afraid  to  take  her  in 
his  arms,  with  his  wet  overcoat ;  but  as  we  drove  in 
a  carriage  to  Mr.  Yerby's,  his  face  reflected  all  the 
happiness  and  delight  that  were  in  his  heart,  and  he 
expressed  much  surprise  and  gratification  at  her  size 
and  beauty.  Upon  our  arrival  at  the  house  he  speed- 
ily divested  himself  of  his  overcoat,  and,  taking  his 
baby  in  his  arms,  he  caressed  her  with  the  tenderest 
affection,  and  held  her  long  and  lovingly.  During 
the  whole  of  this  short  visit,  when  he  was  with  us,  he 
rarely  had  her  out  of  his  arms,  walking  her,  and  amus- 
ing her  in  every  way  that  he  could  think  of — some- 
times holding  her  up  before  a  mirror  and  saying,  ad- 
miringly, "  Now,  Miss  Jackson,  look  at  yourself !" 
Then  he  would  turn  to  an  old  lady  of  the  family  and 
say :  "  Isn't  she  a  little  gem  f  He  was  frequently 
told  that  she  resembled  him,  but  he  would  say :  "  No, 
she  is  too  pretty  to  look  like  me."  When  she  slept  in 
the  day,  he  would  often  kneel  over  her  cradle,  and 
gaze  upon  her  little  face  with  the  most  rapt  admira- 
tion, and  he  said  he  felt  almost  as  if  she  were  an  angel, 
in  her  innocence  and  purity.  I  have  often  wished 
that  the  picture  which  was  presented  to  me  of  that 
father  kneeling  over  the  cradle  of  that  lovely  infant 
could  have  been  put  upon  canvas.     And  yet  with  all 


410     LIFE  OF  GEXERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

his  fondness  and  devotion  to  the  little  lady,  he  had  no 
idea  of  spoiling  her,  as  will  be  seen  by  his  undertaking 
to  teach  her  a  lesson  in  self-control  before  she  was  five 
months  old !  One  day  she  began  to  cry  to  be  taken 
from  the  bed  on  which  she  was  lying,  and  as  soon  as 
her  wish  was  gratified,  she  ceased  to  cry.  He  laid 
her  back  upon  the  bed,  and  the  crying  was  renewed 
with  increased  violence.  Of  course,  the  mother-heart 
wished  to  stop  this  by  taking  her  up  again,  but  he  ex- 
claimed :  "  This  will  never  do !"  and  commanded  "  all 
hands  off"  until  that  little  will  of  her  own  should 
be  conquered.  So  there  she  lay,  kicking  and  scream- 
injr,  while  he  stood  over  her  with  as  much  coolness 
and  determination  as  if  he  were  directing  a  battle;  and 
he  was  true  to  the  name  of  Stonewall,  even  in  disci- 
plining a  baby !  When  she  stopped  crying  he  would 
take  her  up,  and  if  she  began  to  cry  again  he  would 
lay  her  down  again,  and  this  he  kept  up  until  finally 
she  was  completely  conquered,  and  became  perfectly 
quiet  in  his  hands. 

On  the  2e3d  of  April  (the  day  she  was  five  months 
old)  General  Jackson  had  little  Julia  baptized.  He 
brought  his  chaplain,  the  Eev.  Mr.  Lacy,  to  Mr.  Yer- 
by's,  in  whose  parlor  the  sacred  rite  was  performed, 
in  the  presence  of  the  family,  and  a  number  of  the 
staff-officers.  The  child  behaved  beautifully,  and  was 
the  object  of  great  interest  to  her  father's  friends  and 
soldiers.  His  aide,  Mr.  Smith,  tells  how  he  came  to 
be  present.  He  says :  "  I  recall  the  visit  to  Mr.  Yer- 
by's  to  see  the  baptism  of  little  Julia.  For  some 
reason,  Mr.  Lacy  did  not  wish  me  to  go,  and  said  I 
shouldn't  go.  Provoked  at  this,  I  went  to  the  gen- 
eral, who  said,  '  Certainly,  Mr.  Smith,  you  can  go  ; 


THE   LAST   SOLEMN   SERVICE.  4H 

ask  the  others  to  go  with  you,'  and  I  turned  out  the 
whole  party,  making  quite  a  cavalcade  to  ride  to  Mr. 
Yerby's.  I  remember  the  general's  impatience  at  some 
little  delay,  and  the  decided  way  with  which  he  went 
out  and  brought  in  the  child  in  his  arms." 

The  next  Sabbath  was  a  most  memorable  one  to 
me,  being  the  last  upon  which  I  was  privileged  to  at- 
tend divine  service  with  my  husband  on  earth,  and  to 
worship  in  camp  with  such  a  compau}'  of  soldiers  as 
I  had  never  seen  together  in  a  religious  congregation. 
My  husband  took  me  in  an  ambulance  to  his  head- 
quarters, where  the  services  were  held,  and  on  the 
way  were  seen  streams  of  officers  and  soldiers,  some 
riding,  some  walking,  all  wending  their  Avay  to  the 
place  of  worship.  Arrived  there,  we  found  Mr.  Lacy 
in  a  tent,  in  which  we  were  seated,  together  with  Gen- 
eral Lee  and  other  distinguished  officers.  I  remember 
how  reverent  and  impressive  was  General  Lee's  bear- 
ing, and  how  handsome  he  looked,  with  his  splendid 
figure  and  faultless  military  attire.  In  front  of  the 
tent,  under  the  canopy  of  heaven,  were  spread  out  in 
dense  masses  the  soldiers,  sitting  upon  benches  or 
standing.  The  preaching  was  earnest  and  edifying, 
the  singing  one  grand  volume  of  song,  and  the  atten- 
tion and  good  behavior  of  the  assembly  remarkable. 
That  Sabbath  afternoon  my  husband  spent  entirely 
with  me,  and  his  conversation  was  more  s])iritual  than 
I  had  ever  observed  before.  He  seemed  to  be  o-ivino- 
utterance  to  those  religious  meditations  in  which  he 
so  much  delighted.  He  never  appeared  to  be  in  better 
health  than  at  this  time,  and  I  never  saw  him  look  so 
handsome  and  noble.  We  had  a  large,  comfortable 
room  at  Mr.  Yerby's,  which  was  hospitably  furnished 


412  LIFE   OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSOX. 

with  three  beds.  It  seems  that  General  Lee  had  been 
an  occupant  of  this  room  before  us,  for  when  he  called 
on  me  he  facetiously  alluded  to  our  capacious  accom- 
modations, and  said  he  had  written  to  his  wife  and 
daughters  that  if  they  would  come  to  see  him,  he  could 
entertain  them  all  In  this  room  !  This  was  the  first 
time  I  met  him,  and  when  the  announcement  was 
made  that  "  General  Lee  and  his  staff  had  called  to  see 
Mrs.  Jackson,"  I  was  somewhat  awe-struck  at  the  idea 
of  meeting  the  commander-in-chief,  with  a  retinue  of 
officers,  and  descended  to  the  parlor  with  considerable 
trepidation ;  but  I  was  met  by  a  face  so  kind  and  fa- 
therly, and  a  greeting  so  cordial,  that  I  was  at  once 
reassured  and  put  at  ease.  The  formidable  "staff" 
consisted  of  onl}^  two  or  three  nice-looking,  courteous 
gentlemen,  and  the  call  was  greatly  enjoyed. 

General  Lee  was  always  charming  in  the  society  of 
ladies,  and  often  indulged  in  a  playful  way  of  teasing 
them  that  was  quite  amusing.  lie  claimed  the  privi- 
lege of  kissing  all  the  pretty  young  girls,  which  was 
regarded  by  them  as  a  special  honor.  A  young  staff- 
officer  relates  that  on  the  occasion  of  a  general  review 
many  ladies  turned  out  in  carriages  to  witness  the  im- 
posing spectacle.  He  heard  one  young  lady  call  out 
to  another  from  her  carriage :  "  General  Lee  kissed  me 
tvnce .'"  The  exultant  reply  came  back  from  another 
carriage :  "  General  Lee  kissed  me  four  times  r 

General  Jackson  did  not  permit  the  presence  of  his 
family  to  interfere  in  any  way  with  his  military  du- 
ties. The  greater  part  of  each  day  he  spent  at  his 
headquarters,  but  returned  as  early  as  he  could  get  off 
from  his  labors,  and  devoted  all  of  his  leisure  time  to 
his  visitors — little  Julia  sharing  his  cliief  attention  and 


THE    PORTRAIT   THAT   THE   SOLDIERS   LOVE.  418 

care.  His  devotion  to  his  child  was  remarked  upon 
by  all  Avho  beheld  the  happv  pair  together,  for  she 
soon  learned  to  delight  in  his  caresses  as  much  as  he 
loved  to  play  with  her.  An  officer's  wife  who  saw 
him  often  during  this  time  wrote  to  a  friend  in  Rich- 
mond that  "  tlie  general  spent  all  his  leisure  time  in 
playing  with  the  baby." 

One  morning  he  rode  over  from  headquarters  upon 
his  handsome  bay  horse,  "  Superior,"  wishing  to  show 
me  his  fine  present ;  and  after  bringing  him  up  to  the 
steps  of  the  house  and  showing  him  off,  he  remounted 
him,  and  galloped  away  at  such  a  John  Gilpin  speed 
that  his  cap  was  soon  borne  off  by  the  velocity ;  but 
he  did  not  stop  to  pick  it  up,  leaving  this  to  his  order- 
ly behind  him,  who  found  great  difficult}^  in  keeping 
even  in  sight  of  him.  As  far  as  he  could  be  seen,  he 
was  flying  like  the  wind — the  impersonation  of  fear- 
lessness and  manly  vigor. 

It  was  during  these  last  happy  days  that  he  sat  for 
the  last  picture  that  was  taken  of  him — the  three-quar- 
ters view  of  his  face  and  head — the  favorite  picture 
with  his  old  soldiers,  as  it  is  the  most  soldierly-look- 
ing; but,  to  my  mind,  not  so  pleasing  as  the  full-face 
view  which  was  taken  in  the  spring  of  1862,  at  Win- 
chester, and  which  has  more  of  the  beaming  sunlight 
of  his  home-looh.  The  last  picture  Avas  taken  by  an 
artist  who  came  to  Mr.  Yerby's  and  asked  permission 
to  photograph  him,  which  he  at  first  declined ;  but  as 
he  never  presented  a  finer  appearance  in  health  and 
dress  (wearing  the  handsome  suit  given  him  by  Gen- 
eral Stuart),  I  persuaded  him  to  sit  for  his  picture. 
After  arranging  his  hair  myself,  which  was  unusually 
long  for  him,  and  curled  in  large  ringlets,  he  sat  in 


414  I>IFE   OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

the  hall  of  the  house,  where  a  strong  wind  blew  in  his 
face,  causing  him  to  frown,  and  giving  a  sternness  to 
his  countenance  that  was  not  natural ;  but  in  spite  of 
tills,  some  fine  copies  have  been  produced  from  the 
original.  The  very  best  is  Elder's  grand  portrait — 
painted  for  the  late  Mr.  W.  W.  Corcoran,  of  Wash- 
ington. During  a  visit  of  my  daughter  and  myself  to 
Mr.  Corcoran,  a  few  years  since,  he  asked  us  to  walk 
with  him  into  his  salon,  saying  he  had  there  some- 
thino-  to  show  us.  Without  another  word,  he  led  us 
up  in  front  of  this  portrait,  and  as  the  child  stood 
transfixed  before  the  splendid  representation  of  the 
father,  whose  memory  she  so  revered,  the  dear  old 
man  stepped  forward,  and,  lifting  up  the  pathetic  young 
face,  tenderly  kissed  her.  This  portrait,  together  with 
a  companion  picture  of  General  Lee,  was  given  by 
Mr.  Corcoran  to  the  Art  Gallery  in  Washington,  which 
was  founded  by  him  and  bears  his  honored  name. 

Our  military  leaders  had  diligently  employed  the 
winter  months  in  preparing  their  troops  for  tlie  great- 
est efficiency  in  the  approaching  campaign.  When 
the  spring  opened,  General  Lee  found  himself  at  the 
head  of  an  army  unsurpassed  in  discipline  and  all  the 
hardv  virtues  of  the  soldier,  strengthened  by  the  addi- 
tions of  the  winter,  reinvigorated  by  the  comjiactness 
and  order  which  had  been  given  to  its  organization, 
with  an  enthusiasm  acquired  by  a  long  series  of  vic- 
tories, and  ready  to  add  to  that  series  a  triumph  more 
remarkable  and  illustrious  than  any  of  its  predeces- 
sors. .  .  .  General  Jackson's  corps  grew  in  three  months 
from  twenty -five  to  thirty -three  thousand  muskets. 
.  .  .  The  splendid  morale  of  this  army  did  not  need 
improvement,  but  it  enabled  it  to  bear,  without  in- 


HOOKER'S  ARMY   CROSSING   THE   RIVER.  4^5 

jury,  the  privations  and  hardships  of  the  winter  In 
suthcient  clothing  and  scanty  rations  produced  no 
ettect  upon  it." 

Their  leader  manifested  less  reserve  than  formerlv 
m  expressing  his  opinion  of  the  general  principles 
^vhlch   should   govern   the   Confederate   side   in   the 
contmuance  of  the  war.      With  great  decision  and 
emphasis  he  said  :  '^  We  must  make  this  campaign  an 
exceedingly  active   one.      Only  thus   can   a   weaker 
country  cope  with  a  stronger;    it  must  make  up  in 
activity  what  it  lacks  in  strength.     A  defensive  cam- 
paign can  only  be  made  successful  by  taking  the  ao- 
gressive  at  the  proper  time.      Kapoieon  never  wait- 
ed for  his  adversary  to  become  fully  prepared    but 
struck  him  the  first  blow."  ^   ^        ' 

But  as  the  campaign  drew  on  apace,  my  delightful 
visit  was  destined  to  come  to  an  end.     ily  husband 
had  loved  to  dwell  with  devout  thanldulLs  upon 
the  happy  winter  we  had  spent  together  in  Winches- 
er;  but  this  last  visit  exceeded  that  in  happiness,  for 
t  had  the  additional  charm  and  the  attraction  of  the 
lovely  child  that  God  had  given  us,  and  this  greatly 
intensified  his  delight  and  enjoyment  ^ 

My  visit  had  lasted  only  nine  days,  when  early  on 
the  morning  of  the  29th  of  April  we  were  aroused 
b    a  messenger  at  our  door  saying,  "  General  Earlv's 
adjutant   wishes   to  see   General   Jackson."     As   he 
arose,  he  said,  ''That  looks  as  if  Hooker  were  cross- 
nf.i       ^1^™"^'  clown-stairs,  and,  soon  returning, 
told   me  that  his  surmise  was   correct-IIooker  wa« 
crossing  the  river,  and  that  he  must  go  immediately 
to   the   scene   of  action.      From   the   indications   he 
thought  a  battle  was  imminent,  and  under  the  cir 


416  LIFE    OF   GEXERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSOX. 

cumstances  he  was  unwilling  for  us  to  remain  in  so 
exposed  a  situation  as  Mr.  Yerby's.  He  therefore 
directed  me  to  prepare  to  start  for  Kichmond  at  a 
moment's  notice,  promising  to  return  himself  to  see 
us  off  if  possible,  and  if  not,  he  Avould  send  my  broth- 
er Joseph.  After  a  tender  and  hasty  good-by,  he 
hurried  off  without  breakfast.  Scarcely  had  he  gone, 
when  the  roar  of  cannons  began — volley  after  volley 
following  in  quick  succession — the  house  shaking  and 
windows  rattling  from  the  reverberations,  throwing 
the  family  into  great  panic,  and  causing  the  wildest 
excitement  among  all  the  occupants  of  the  place.  My 
hasty  preparations  for  leaving  were  hardly  completed 
when  Mr.  Lacy,  the  chaplain,  came  with  an  ambu- 
lance, saying  he  had  been  sent  by  General  Jackson  to 
convey  his  family  to  the  railroad  station  as  speedily 
as  possible,  in  order  to  catch  the  morning  train  to 
Richmond.  My  brother  Joseph,  seeing  General  Jack- 
son's need  of  his  services,  had  requested  that  Mr. 
Lacy  should  be  sent  in  his  stead  as  my  escort.  He 
brought  a  cheerful  note  from  my  husband,  explaining 
why  he  could  not  leave  his  post,  and  invoking  God's 
care  and  blessing  upon  us  in  our  sudden  departure, 
and  especially  was  he  tender  and  loving  in  his  men- 
tion of  the  baby. 

A  rapid  and  continuous  rattle  of  musketry  showed 
that  the  battle  was  now  under  way,  and  before  we 
left  Mr.  Yerby's  yard  we  saw  several  wounded  sol- 
diers brought  in  and  placed  in  the  out-liouses,  which 
the  surgeons  were  arranging  as  temj)oi-ary  liospitals. 
This  was  my  nearest  and  only  glimpse  of  the  actual 
horrors  of  the  l)attlo-fiold,  and  the  reader  can  imagine 
how  sad  and  harrowing  was  my  drive  to  the  station 


HIS  WIFE   RETURNS   TO   RICHMOND.  4]  7 

on  that  terrible  morning!  The  distance  was  several 
miles,  and  as  we  journeyed  along  over  a  newly  cut 
road,  filled  with  stumps  and  roots,  we  could  hear  the 
sounds  of  battle,  and  luy  heart  was  heavy  with  fore- 
boding and  dread.  Wo  were  in  good  time  for  the 
train,  and  but  few  passengers  were  aboard — only  two 
that  made  any  impression  upon  me,  and  these  were  a 
pretty,  young  Creole  mother  and  a  little  boy  from 
'New  Orleans,  who,  like  myself,  had  been  paying  a 
visit  to  a  soldier  husband  and  father,  and  were  now  flee- 
ing; for  safetv.  In  a  few  hours  we  were  in  Richmond, 
among  kind  friends,  for  all  Southern  hearts  were 
bound  by  a  strong  tie  in  the  common  cause  for  which 
so  many  brave  hearts  were  battling. 

But  we  must  now  return  to  General  Jackson. 
Hastening  to  his  command,  his  first  order  Avas  to  de- 
spatch one  of  his  aides  to  inform  General  Lee  of  the 
movements  of  the  enemy.  The  commander-in-chief 
was  found  sitting  in  his  tent,  and  replied  with  his  ac- 
customed pleasantry  to  the  message,  saying  :  "  Well, 
I  heard  firing,  and  1  was  beginning  to  think  it  was 
time  some  of  you  lazy  young  fellows  were  coming  to 
tell  me  what  it  was  all  about.  Say  to  General  Jack- 
son that  he  knows  just  as  well  what  to  do  with  the 
enemy  as  I  do." 

Thus  left  to  his  own  responsibility,  Jackson  had 
his  corps  under  arms  as  speedily  as  possible,  but  soon 
ascertained  from  the  cavalry  pickets  of  General  Stuart 
that  the  crossing  of  the  enemy  below  Fredericksburg, 
which  was  now  engaging  his  attention,  was  onlv  a 
feint  to  cover  the  movements  of  still  larger  forces, 
which  were  effecting  passages  higher  up  the  Rappa- 
hannock, and  some  miles  west  of  Fredericksburg. 
27 


418      LIFE  OF  GENERA^  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

These  forces  marched  down  towards  Chancellorsville, 
fifteen  miles  west  of  Fredericksburg,  where  General 
Hooker  Avas  himself  in  command,  and  was  massing 
his  vast  army. 

On  the  opening  of  this  campaign,  "when  General 
Jackson  broke  up  his  quarters,  it  was  observed  that 
a  wondrous  change  came  over  him.  From  the  quiet, 
patient,  but  arduous  laborer  over  his  daily  tasks,  he 
seemed  transformed  into  a  thunder-bolt  of  war.  So 
instinct  with  animation,  energy,  and  indomitable  will 
did  he  appear  that  even  his  figure  assumed  more 
erectness,  his  step  a  quicker  firmness,  and  his  whole 
bearing  realized  the  ideal  of  a  soldier,  as  one  inspired 
by  the  consciousness  of  power.  His  mind  was  clear 
and  his  action  prompt :  nothing  did  he  overlook  or 
neglect  which  could  add  to  the  efficiency  of  his  corps. 

Before  ordering  his  tents  to  be  struck,  his  last  act 
was  to  dismount  from  his  horse  and  seek  the  privacy 
of  his  own  tent.  His  servant  Jim,  to  whom  he  had 
thrown  the  reins,  raised  his  hand  to  the  bustling  crowd 
around,  as  a  warning  gesture,  and  in  a  loud  whisper 
said:  "Hush!  .  .  ,  The  general  is  praying !"  Silence 
immediately  fell  upon  the  camp,  and  was  maintained 
until  the  curtain  was  withdrawn  and  the  Christian 
warrior  came  forth  from  his  closet,  where  he  had  drunk 
of  the  inspiration  that  comes  only  from  above,  which 
makes  a  man  "strong  in  the  Lord,  and  in  the  power 
of  His  might." 

Proceeding  to  the  field,  General  Jackson  managed, 
with  his  usual  skill,  to  escape  the  notice  of  the  onem_y, 
and  put  his  column  in  motion  at  three  o'clock  on  the 
morning  of  the  30th,  in  obedience  to  (xeneral  Lee's 
order  to  go  to  the  support  of  two  divisions  which  had 


POSITION   OF   THE   FEDERAL   ARMY.  419 

already  been  sent  to  arrest  the  advance  of  the  enemy, 
which  he  accomphshed  by  threatening  their  flank,  upon 
which  they  fell  back  to  Chancellorsville,  where,  accord- 
ing to  the  report  of  General  Lee,  they  "  had  assumed 
a  position  of  great  natural  strength,  surrounded  on 
all  sides  by  a  dense  forest,  filled  with  a  tangled  under- 
growth, in  the  midst  of  which  breastworks  of  logs  had 
been  constructed,  with  trees  felled  in  front,  so  as  to 
form  an  almost  impenetrable  abatis.  Their  artillery 
swept  tlie  few  narrow  roads  by  which  the  position 
could  be  approached  from  the  front,  and  commanded 
the  adjacent  woods." 

To  attack  this  stronghold  would  cost  a  fruitless 
waste  of  life,  and  the  Confederates  attempted  nothing 
that  day  beyond  some  skirmishing  along  the  lines. 
That  night,  the  1st  of  May,  Generals  Lee  and  Jackson 
bivouacked  upon  a  knoll  covered  with  pine-trees,  the 
fallen  leaves  affording  them  the  only  means  of  repose ; 
but  little  did  they  think  of  sleep,  and  long  and  earnest 
were  their  consultations,  for  the  situation  of  affairs 
was  of  the  gravest  and  most  serious  aspect. 

Longstreet,  with  a  part  of  his  corps,  Avas  absent ; 
Early  had  been  left  at  Fredericksburg  to  conceal  Jack- 
son's departure,  and  to  dispute  the  heights  of  that 
place  with  Sedgwick  ;  and  Lee's  army,  thus  diminished, 
was  left  with  only  forty-three  thousand  men  to  battle 
against  Hooker  with  sixty  thousand.  The  Federal 
cavalry,  in  large  force,  had  also  broken  through  the 
Confederate  lines,  and  was  making  a  raid  southward, 
with  the  object  of  cutting  off  General  Lee's  commu- 
nications with  llichmond.  General  Stuart  now  joined 
them,  and  reported  that,  while  Hooker's  situation  was 
seemingly  impregnable,  with  liis  whole  force  massed 


420  LIFE  OF  GEXKKAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSOX. 

aroimd  Chancellorsville,  yet  his  encampments  were 
open  upon  the  west  and  northwest,  and  the  greater 
part  of  his  cavahy  were  absent  on  the  southern  raid. 
Long  and  anxiously  did  the  two  Confederate  leaders 
consult  on  that  memorable  night,  and  they  both  agreed 
that  Hooker  must  be  attacked  at  once,  or  all  would 
be  lost.  Finally  they  laid  themselves  down  upon  the 
pine  leaves  to  take  a  few  hours  of  much-needed  repose. 
Jackson's  mind  seemed  to  have  been  upon  everything 
more  than  himself,  and  he  had  neglected  to  provide 
a  covering  or  wrap  of  any  kind.  He  was  urged  by 
young  Pendleton  of  his  staff  to  accept  his  overcoat, 
but  was  unwilling  to  deprive  him  of  it,  and  declined. 
The  thoughtful  young  man  then  detached  the  large 
cape  of  the  garment  and  spread  it  over  his  general ; 
but  as  soon  as  Pendleton  fell  asleep,  Jackson  rose 
and  carefully  placed  the  cape  over  him,  preferring  to 
endure  the  cold  himself  to  depriving  a  friend  of  his 
comfort.  The  next  morning  he  awoke  with  a  cold, 
but  he  did  not  speak  of  it.  In  the  gray  light  of  dawn 
his  chaplain  found  him  sitting  on  a  cracker-box,  and 
shivering  over  a  little  fire.  He  invited  Mr.  Lacy  to 
take  a  seat  by  him,  and  asked  him  to  give  him  all  the 
information  he  could  about  the  by-roads  of  that  region 
— the  minister  being  acquainted  with  the  country,  as 
he  once  had  a  charge  in  that  vicinity.  He  took  a  pen- 
cil and  an  outline  map  out  of  his  pocket,  and  requested 
Mr.  Lacy  to  mark  down  all  the  roads  for  him.  He  also 
sent  his  to))ogrnphical  engineer.  Major  Jed.  Hotchkiss, 
now  of  Staunton,  Virginia,  to  inspect  the  country,  and 
procured  the  services  of  a  guide  from  the  neighborhood 
to  find  out  some  avenue  by  which  he  might  pass  swiftly 
and  unobserved  around  the  Hank  of  Hooker's  army. 


THE    FLANK    MOVEMENT.  421 

The  needed  information  was  soon  obtained.  Seat- 
ed upon  two  cracker-boxes,  the  debris  of  an  issue 
of  Federal  rations  the  (Uiy  before,  the  Confederate 
leaders  held  their  consultation.  With  a  map  before 
him,  Jackson  suggested  making  a  long  circuit,  sweep- 
ing clear  round  Hooker's  right,  and  so  making  the 
attack  on  his  rear.  Lee  inquired  with  what  force  he 
would  do  this  ?  Jackson  replied,  "  With  my  whole 
corps  present."  Lee  then  asked  what  would  be  left 
to  him  with  which  to  resist  an  advance  of  the  enemy 
towards  Fredericksburg?  "  The  divisions  of  Anderson 
and  McLaws,"  said  Jackson.  For  a  moment  Lee  re- 
flected on  the  audacity  of  this  plan  in  the  face  of 
Hooker's  superior  numbers.  To  divide  his  army  into 
two  parts  and  place  the  whole  Federal  force  between 
them  was  extremely  hazardous.  But  it  was  impos- 
sible to  attack  their  position  in  front  without  terrible 
loss.  The  very  boldness  of  the  proposed  movement, 
if  executed  with  secrecy  and  despatch,  was  an  earnest 
of  success.  Jackson  was  dii-ected  to  carry  out  the 
plan. 

Soon  after  the  dawn  of  day  he  began  the  march 
with  his  corps,  who,  comprehending  intuitiveh?"  that 
their  leader  was  engaged  in  one  of  his  masterly  flank 
movements,  and  catching  their  inspiration  from  his 
own  eagerness  and  enthusiasm,  pressed  rapidly  for- 
ward, over  the  narrow  country  roads.  This  move- 
ment was  not  altogether  unperceived  by  the  Federals, 
but  they  interpreted  so  early  a  march  southward  as 
a  retreat  towards  Kichmond.  Some  slight  skirmish- 
ing of  artillery  and  riflemen  was  attempted,  but  did 
not  last  long,  and  Hooker  seemed  to  be  awaiting  fur- 
ther developments.    By  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon 


422  LIFE   OF   GENERAL   THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

Jackson  had  marched  fifteen  miles,  and  was  six  miles 
west  of  Chancellorsville,  occupying  precisely  the  op- 
posite side  of  the  enemy  to  that  held  by  General  Lee. 
It  was  here  that  he  addressed  his  last  official  note  to 
his  commander,  which  was  as  follows: 

"  Near  3  p.m.,  May  2d,  1863. 
"  General, — The  enemy  has  made  a  stand  at  Chan- 
cellor's, which  is  about  two  miles  from  Chancellors- 
ville.    I  hope,  so  soon  as  practicable,  to  attack. 

"  I  trust  that  an  ever-kind  Providence  will  bless  us 
with  success. 

"Eespectfully, 

''  T.  J.  Jackson,  Lieutenant-General. 
"  General  Egbert  E.  Lee. 

uY.  S. — The  leading  division  is  up,  and  the  next 
two  appear  to  be  well  closed.  T.  J.  J.'' 

Stuart  was  covering  this  flank  movement  with  his 
vigilant  cavalry,  and  from  his  outposts  Jackson 
was  able  to  gain  a  glimpse  of  the  enemy's  position, 
which  satisfied  him  that  he  had  obtained  the  desired 
vantao-e-""round  from  which  to  attack. 

The  country  around  Chancellorsville  is  densely 
wooded  with  scrub  oak  and  pine,  which,  with  tan- 
D-led  undergrowth,  form  almost  impenetrable  depths 
from  which  it  is  appropriately  called  ''  The  AVilder- 
ness."  But  in  the  open  fields  near  the  old  Wilder- 
ness Tavern,  General  Jackson  found  space  in  which 
to  draw  up  his  troops.  lie  formed  them  in  three  par- 
allel lines,  and  selected  two  picked  batteries  to  move 
down  the  turnpike,  which  marked  the  centre  of  his 
lines— the  thick  forests  into  which  lie  was  about  to 


CHARGING  THROUGH  THE    FOREST.  423 

plunge  affording  no  possible  position  for  the  rest  of 
iiis  artiller}'.  By  six  o'clock  all  was  in  readiness  for 
the  advance,  and  at  the  word  of  command  the  three 
lines  charged  forward,  rushing  with  all  the  speed  it 
was  possible  to  make  through  the  forests  and  dense 
brushwood,  which  almost  tore  the  clothing  of  the 
soldiers  from  their  bodies,  and  compelled  them  to 
creep  through  many  places;  but  still  they  pressed 
on,  as  best  they  could.  The  following  description  of 
what  followed  is  taken  from  "The  Battle-Fields  of 
Virginia :" 

"  The  forest  was  full  of  game,  which,  startled  from 
their  hiding-places  by  the  unusual  presence  of  man, 
ran  in  numbers  to  and  over  the  Federal  lines.  Deer 
leaped  over  the  works  at  Talley's,  and  dashed  into 
the  wood  behind.  The  Federal  troops  had  in  most 
cases  their  arms  stacked,  and  were  eating  supper. 
All  danger  was  thought  to  be  over  for  the  night. 
The  startled  game  gave  the  first  intimation  of  Jack- 
son's approach.  But  so  little  was  it  suspected  or 
believed  that  the  suggestion  was  treated  as  a  jest. 
Presently  the  bugles  were  heard  through  which 
orders  were  passed  along  the  Confederate  lines.  This 
excited  still  more  remark.  Ere  it  had  been  Ions: 
discussed,  however,  there  came  the  sound  of  a  few 
straggling  shots  from  the  skirmishers,  then  a  mighty 
cheer,  and  in  a  moment  more  Jackson  was  upon  them. 
A  terrible  volley  from  his  line  of  battle  poured  among 
the  Union  troops  ere  they  could  recover  from  their 
surprise.  Those  in  line  returned  a  scattered  fire; 
others  seized  their  arms  and  attempted  to  form. 
Officers  tried  to  steady  their  men  and  lead  them  to 


424  LIFE   OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSOX. 

meet  the  attack.  All  was  in  vain.  .  .  .  Like  a  tor- 
nado the  Confederate  lines  pass  over  the  ground, 
breaking,  crashing,  crumbling  Howard's  corps.  Artil- 
lery, wagons,  ambulances,  are  driven  in  frantic  panic 
to  the  rear,  and  double  the  confusion.  The  rout  is 
utter  and  hopeless.  The  mass  of  pursuers  and  pur- 
sued roll  on  until  the  position  of  Melzi  Chancellor's 
is  reached.  Here  a  strong  line  of  works  had  been 
constructed  across  the  road,  which,  having  a  shal- 
low ditch,  could  be  made  to  face  in  either  direction. 
.  .  .  Some  of  Schurz's  men  rally  on  Buschbeck, 
and  for  a  short  time  the  Confederate  advance  is  ar- 
rested. But  Jackson  cannot  long  be  held  back.  Col- 
ston's division  has  eagerly  pressed  on,  and  is  already 
commingled  with  Rodes's.  Together  they  charge 
with  a  yell;  and  in  a  few  moments  the  works  are 
taken.  Pell-mell  now  rush  the  Eleventh  Corps,  the 
last  semblance  of  organization  gone,  through  the 
forest,  towards  Chancellorsville.  Onward  sweep  the 
Confederates  in  hot  pursuit.  The  arms,  knapsacks, 
and  accoutrements  of  the  fugitives  fill  the  woods. 
Artillery  carriages  are  to  be  seen  overturned  in  the 
narrow  roads,  or  hopelessly  jammed  in  the  impene- 
trable jungle.  The  wounded  and  dying,  with  their 
groans,  fill  the  forest  on  every  side.  The  day  is  ra|> 
idly  drawing  to  a  close ;  night  comes  to  add  confu- 
sion to  the  scene.  It  had  been  impossible  in  the  broad 
daylight,  owing  to  the  intricacy  of  the  forest,  to  pre- 
vent a  commingling  of  regiments  and  brigades  along 
the  Confederate  lines.  The  confusion  thus  produced 
is  greatl}"^  increased  by  the  darkness.  In  a  brush- 
wood so  dense  that  it  is  impossible,  under  favorable 
circumstances,  to   see  thirty  yards  in  any  direction, 


THE  TROOPS  BECOME  CONFUSED.        425 

companies,  regiments,  brigades,  become  inextricably 
intermixed.  Colston's  division,  forming  the  second 
line,  has  already  become  merged  with  Ilodes's.  Both 
move  on  in  one  confused  mass.  The  right  of  the 
Confederate  line  soon  reaches  an  abatis  which  has 
been  felled  to  jDrotect  the  approach  to  some  woods 
on  the  opposite  heights.  The  troops,  already  disor- 
dered, become  still  more  so  among  the  felled  timber. 
Behind  this  abatis  some  troops  and  artillery  have 
been  gathered  to  make  a  stand.  Kodes  finds  it  im- 
possible to  push  farther  until  the  lines  can  be  re- 
formed. The  right  is  first  halted,  and  then  the  w^hole 
Confederate  line.  Bodes  sends  word  at  once  to  Jack- 
son, requesting  that  the  third  line  (A.  P.  Hill's  divi- 
sion) be  sent  forward  to  take  the  advance  until  the 
first  and  second  can  be  reformed. 

"  While  this  w^as  being  done,  there  was  a  lull  in  the 
storm  of  battle.  Jackson  had  paused  for  a  time  in 
his  pursuit ;  Hooker  was  attempting  to  stop  and 
reform  his  flying  legions." 

During  this  splendid  charge  Jackson  Avas  the  im- 
personation of  military  enthusiasm,  dashing  on  at  the 
head  of  his  men,  with  the  words  of  command,  "  For- 
ward !"  "  Press  on !''  continually  ringing  from  his 
lips.  He  leaned  forward  upon  his  horse,  and  waved 
his  hand,  as  though  by  its  single  strength  he  w^ere 
trying  to  impel  his  men  onward.  As  cheer  after 
cheer  rose  from  the  Confederate  line,  announcing 
new  successes,  his  flashing  eyes  and  glowing  cheeks 
showed  how  deeply  he  was  moved,  and  he  was  ob- 
served frequently  to  look  upwards  and  lift  his  right 
hand  to  heaven  in  prayer  and  thanksgiving. 


426  LIFE   OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

Thus  far  his  most  sanguine  hopes  had  been  real- 
ized. His  flank  movement  was  a  brilliant  success — 
the  enemy  had  been  surprised,  and  their  right  flank 
been  driven  back  in  confusion.  But  he  knew  that 
much  had  yet  to  be  done  before  the  victory  could  be 
complete.  The  first  blow  must  be  followed  by  others. 
He  therefore  deeply  regretted  the  disorder  in  which 
his  own  lines  had  fallen.  After  marching  twenty 
miles,  and  fighting  over  three  miles  of  difficult  ground, 
it  was  no  wonder  that  the  men,  feeling  assured  of 
victory,  halted  from  weariness  and  broke  ranks,  as 
though  the  day's  work  were  done.  But  though  the 
enemy  had  been  driven  from  an  important  defence, 
which  might  be  reoccupied  at  any  moment  if  the  Con- 
federates failed  to  seize  it,  Jackson  saw  that  every- 
thing depended  on  immediately  reforming  his  lines. 
He  despatched  his  staff  in  every  direction  to  order 
the  officers  to  get  the  men  back  into  ranks  and  press 
forward.  Dashing  along  the  lines  himself,  almost 
unattended,  he  kept  saying:  "  Men,  get  into  line!  get 
into  line!  Whose  regiment  is  this?  Colonel,  get 
your  men  instantly  into  line."  Turning  to  an  officer 
who  came  up  to  report,  he  said :  "  Find  General 
Rodes,  and  tell  him  to  occupy  tliat  barricade  at  once 
with  his  troops."  He  then  added:  "  I  need  your  help 
for  a  time  ;  this  disorder  must  be  corrected.  As  you 
go  along  tlie  right,  tell  the  troops,  from  me,  to  get 
into  line,  and  preserve  their  order." 

After  this  strenuous  effort  to  restore  order  to  his 
lines,  he  rode  forward  to  make  a  reconnoissance  liim- 
self,  and  found  that  Hooker  was  indeed  advancing  a 
powerful  body  of  fresh  troops  in  his  direction.  Being 
pressed  in   front  by   General  Lee,  the  Federal  com- 


WOUNDED   BY   HIS   OWN   MEN.  427 

mander  turned  upon  the  foe  in  the  rear,  and  endeav- 
ored to  recapture  the  all-im]iortant  barricade.  General 
Jackson,  accompanied  by  a  part  of  his  staff  and  sev- 
eral couriers,  advanced  on  the  turnpike  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  enemy  about  a  hundred  yards,  when  he 
was  fired   upon  by  a  volley  of  musketry  from  his 
right  front.     The  buUets  whistled  among-  the  partv, 
and  struck  several  horses.      This  fire  was  evidently 
from  the  enemy,  and  one  of  his  men  caught  his  bridle- 
rein  and  said  to  him:  "General  Jackson,  you  should 
not  expose  yourself  so  much."    "  There  is  no  danger," 
he  replied,  "the  enemy  is  routed.     Go  back  ancftell 
General  Hill  to  press  on."      But  in  order  to  screen 
himself  from  the  flying  bullets,  he  rode  from  the  road 
to  the  left  and  rear.    The  small  trees  and  brushwood 
being  very  dense,  it  was  difticult  to  effect  a  passage 
on  horseback.     While  riding  as  rapidly  as  possible  to 
the  rear,  he  came  in  front  of  liis  own  line  of  battle, 
who,  having  no  idea  that  he,  or  any  one  but  the  enemy,' 
was  in  their  front,  and  mistaking  the  party  for  a  body 
of  Federal  cavalry,  opened  a   sharp  fire  upon  them. 
From  this  volley  General  Jackson  received  his  mortal 
wounds,    mis  right  hand  was  ])ierced  by  a  bullet,  his 
left  arm  ^s  shattered  by  two  balls,  one  above  and 
one  below  the  elbow,  breaking  the  bones  and  sever- 
ing the  main  artery.     His  horse,  "  Little  Sorrel,"  ter- 
rified   by  the  nearness   and   suddenness  of  the   fire, 
dashed  off  in  the  direction  of  the  enemv,  and  it  was 
with  great  difficulty  that  he  could  control  him— his 
bridle  hand   being  lielpless,  and   the  tangled  brush- 
wood, through    which   he    was  borne,  almost    drag- 
ging him  from  his  seat.     But  he  seized  the  reins  with 
his  right  hand,  and,  arresting  the  flight  of  his  horse. 


428  I-IFE   OF  GENERAL   THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

brought  him  back  into  his  own  lines,  where,  almost 
fainting,  he  was  assisted  to  the  ground  by  Captain 
Wilbourne,  his  signal  officer.     By  this  fire  several  of 
his  escort  were  killed  and  wounded,  among  the  former 
was  the  gallant  Captain  Boswell,  and   every   horse 
which  was  not  shot   down  wheeled  back  in  terror, 
bearing  his  rider  towards  the  advancing  enemy.    The 
firing   was    arrested   by   Lieutenant    Morrison,  who, 
after  his  horse  was  killed  under  him,  ran  to  the  front 
of  the  firing  line,  and  with  much  difficulty  in  making 
himself  heard,  told  them  they  were  firing  into  their 
own  men.     As  soon  as  this  was  effected,  he  returned 
to  find  his  general  lying  prostrate  upon  the  ground, 
with  Captain  Wilbourne  and  Mr.  Winn  by  his  side. 
lie    was  wearing  at  the  time  an  india-rubber  over- 
coat over  his  uniform,  as  a  protection  from  the  damp- 
ness of  the  night.     This  Wilbourne  was  ripping  up 
with  a  penknife   to  get   at   the   wounded  arm  and 
stanch  its  bleeding.      General  A.  P.  Hill,  who   was 
near  by,  was  speedily  informed  of  the  disaster  and 
came  at  once.     Dismounting  from  his  horse,  he  bent 
down  and  asked,  "  General,  are  you  much  hurt  ?"    He 
rephed,  "  Yes,  general,  I  think   I   am ;  and   all  my 
wounds  were  from  my  own  men.     I  believe  my  arm 
is  broken;  it  gives  me  severe  pain."     "Are  you  hurt 
elsewhere,  general  ?"  he  was  asked.    "  Yes,  in  my  right 
hand."     But  when  asked  afterwards  if  it  shoukl  be 
bound  up,  he  said  :    "  No,  never  mind ;  it  is  a  trifle." 
And  yet  two  of  the  bones  were  broken,  and  the  palm 
was  ahnost  pierced  through !     Amidst  all  his  suffer- 
ings he  uttered  no  complaint,  and  answered  all  ques- 
tions in  a  ])erfectly  calm  and  self-possessed  tone.     He 
asked  for  Dr.  McGuire,  but  when  told  that  he   was 


CARRIED   OFF   THE   FIELD.  429 

engaged  in  his  duties  far  in  the  rear,  he  said  to  Cap- 
tain Wilbourne :  "  Then  I  wish  you  to  get  me  a  skil- 
ful sui-geon."      General  Hill  stated  that  a  Dr.  Barr 
was  near  at  hand,  and  he  was  immediately  summoned. 
LTpon  his  arrival.  General  Jackson  Avhispered  to  Gen- 
eral Hill :    "  Is  he  a  skilful  surgeon  ?"      The  answer 
was  that  he  stood  high  in  his  brigade,  and  all  that 
would  be  required  of  him  would  be  to  take  precau- 
tionary measures  until  Dr  McGuire  could  arrive.    To 
this  General  Jackson  answered,  "Very  good."     His 
field-glass  and  haversack  were  removed  from  his  per- 
son, and  the  latter  was  found  to  contam  only  a  few 
official  papers  and  two  religious  tracts.     While  the 
sufferer  was  still  lying  prostrate,   Avlth   a  circle  of 
his  ministering  attendants  around  him,  two  Federal 
soldiers,  with  muskets  cocked,  walked  out  from  the 
brushwood,  and  approached  within  a  few  feet  of  the 
group.     General  Hill,  in  a  perfectly  quiet  tone  and 
manner,  turned  and  said  :  "  Take  charge  of  those  men." 
In  an  instant  two  orderlies  sprang  forward  and  seized 
their  guns,  which  the  astonished  soldiers  yielded  with- 
out  any    resistance.      Lieutenant    Morrison,  hearing 
voices  in  the  direction  of  the  enemy,  stepped  to  the 
edge  of  the  wood  to  reconnoitre,  and  in  the  moon- 
light saw  a  section  of  artillery  being  unlimbered  not 
over  a  hundred  yards  distant.     Eeturning  Avith  all 
haste,  he  reported  the  fact,  when  General  Hill  gave 
orders  that  General  Jackson  should  immediately  be 
carried  to  the  rear,  and  that  no  one  should  tell  the 
troops    that    he    was    wounded.      Remounting    his 
horse,  he  returned  to   his   own  command,  and  was 
soon  afterwards  himself  disabled  by  a  wound.     Lieu- 
tenants Smith  and  Morrison,  Captain  Leigh,  of  Gen- 


430  LIFE   OF  GExVERAL  THOMAS   J.  JACKSON'. 

eral  HilFs  staff,  with  a  courier,  now  took  General 
Jackson  up  in  their  arms,  but  after  bearing  hira  a 
short  distance,  he  told  them  that  he  suffered  so  much 
pain  from  being  carried  that  he  would  try  to  walk, 
and  after  they  assisted  him  to  his  feet,  he  did  walk 
as  far  as  the  turnpike. 

Just  as  they  reached  the  road,  the  battery  which 
had  been  seen  to  unliraber  swept  over  them  a  volley 
of  canister-shot — the  balls  hissing  through  the  air, 
and  crashing  through  the  trees,  but  fortunately  pass- 
ing over  their  heads.  The  whole  party  then  lay  down 
on  the  side  of  the  road,  shielding  the  general,  as  far 
as  possible,  by  placing  him  on  the  lowest  ground. 
"While  lying  here,  the  earth  around  them  was  torn 
up  by  shot,  covering  them  with  dust,  and  a  hurricane 
of  lead  and  canister  dashed  against  the  flinty  gravel 
and  stones  of  the  road,  making  it  literally  glow  with 
flashes  and  streaks  of  fire.  So  furious  and  deadly 
was  the  tempest,  that  the  escape  of  any  of  the  party 
seemed  miraculous.  Once  General  Jackson  attempted 
to  rise,  but  was  restrained  by  his  attendants,  who 
sought  to  protect  him  with  their  own  bodies.  Lieu- 
tenant Smith  threw  his  arm  over  him,  holding  him 
down  and  saying :  "  General,  you  must  be  still ;  it  will 
cost  you  your  life  if  you  rise."  With  such  fidelity 
did  these  young  soldiers  stand  over  the  prostrate  form 
of  their  beloved  chief,  trying  to  save  his  life,  though 
it  should  be  by  the  sacrifice  of  their  own. 

The  enemy  soon  changed  from  canister  to  shell  and 
elevated  their  range,  when  the  young  men  renewed 
their  efforts  to  get  General  Jackson  to  the  rear,  sup- 
porting him  with  their  strong  arms,  as  he  slowly  and 
painfully  dragged  himself  along.     As  the  Confederate 


"DON'T   TELL   THEM   WHO    IT  IS."  431 

troops  were  hurrying  to  the  front,  they  met  the  party, 
and  the  question  came  from  the  lips  of  almost  every 
passer-by,  "  Whom  have  you  there  V  The  general, 
not  wishing  his  troops  to  recognize  him,  gave  orders 
to  leave  the  road  and  diverge  into  the  woods.  lie 
said  to  his  attendants :  "  Don't  tell  them  who  it  is, 
but  simply  say  it  is  a  Confederate  officer."  Despite 
these  precautions,  he  did  not  escape  recognition  by 
some  of  his  men,  who  exclaimed  with  grief  and  dis- 
may :  "  Great  God !  it  is  General  Jackson  !"  General 
Pender,  of  North  Carolina,  was  one  of  those  who  rec- 
ognized him,  and  after  approaching  and  expressing 
his  deep  regret  at  his  wounding,  said  to  him :  "  The 
troops  have  suffered  severely  from  the  enemy's  artil- 
lery, and  are  somewhat  disorganized ;  I  fear  we  can- 
not maintain  our  position."  Faint  and  exhausted  as 
he  was,  a  gleam  of  the  old  battle-fire  flashed  from  his 
eyes,  and  instantl}^  he  replied :  "  You  must  hold  your 
ground.  General  Pender ;  you  must  hold  your  ground, 
sir."  This  was  the  last  order  given  by  the  hero  of  so 
many  battle-fields. 

Growing  more  faint  after  this,  he  asked  to  be  per- 
mitted to  sit  down  and  rest,  but  the  dangers  from  the 
enemy's  fire  and  from  capture  were  too  imminent, 
and  a  litter  having  now  been  procured  from  an  ambu- 
lance corps,  he  was  placed  upon  it,  and  the  bearers 
hurried  forward,  still  keeping  out  of  the  road  to 
avoid  the  fire  of  the  enemy.  As  they  struggled 
through  the  dense  thickets,  his  face  was  scratched 
and  his  clothing  torn ;  but  this  was  nothing  in  com- 
parison with  the  agony  caused  by  a  fall  from  the 
litter.  One  of  the  bearers  was  shot  in  the  arm, 
and,  letting  go   his  hold,  the  general   fell  violently 


432 


LIFE  OF  GEXERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSOX. 


to  the  ground,  upon  his  wounded  side,  causing  such 
pain  that  for  the  first  time  he  was  heard  to  utter 
a  groan.  His  attendants  quickly  raised  him  up, 
and,  finding  the  blood  again  flowing,  and  a  look  of 
deathly  pallor  upon  his  face,  feared  he  might  be  expir- 
ing. Lieutenant  Smith  cried  out,  "  Oh,  general,  are 
you  seriously  hurt  ?"  "  No,  Mr.  Smith,  don't  trouble 
yourself  about  me,"  he  replied,  and  presently  added 
something  about  winning  the  battle  first,  and  attend- 
ing to  the  wounded  afterwards.  He  was  again  placed 
upon  the  litter,  and  carried  a  few  hundred  yards, 
under  a  continuous  tire,  when  the  party  was  met  by 
Dr.  McGuire  Avith  an  ambulance.  We  will  let  him 
tell  the  rest  of  the  harrowing  story,  until  my  arrival 
at  his  bedside.       / 


JACKSON 


r  »--'>^^- 


-<^^;iw*,,*^_ 


MONUJIENT   \VIII,i;l.    l  \(  KSON   FELL,  AT  CHANCELLORSVILLE. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

IN  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE   SHADOW.— AT  REST— 1863. 

On  meeting  the  wounded  general,  says  Dr.  Mc- 
Guire :  "  I  knelt  down  by  him  and  said,  '  I  hope  you 
are  not  badly  hurt,  general  V  He  replied  very  calmly, 
but  feebly,  '  I  am  badly  injured,  doctor ;  I  fear  I  am 
d^'ing.'  After  a  pause  he  continued,  '  I  am  glad  you 
have  come.  I  think  the  wound  in  my  shoulder  is  still 
bleeding.'  His  clothes  were  saturated  with  blood,  and 
hemorrhage  was. still  going  on  from  the  wound.  Com- 
pression of  the  artery  with  the  finger  arrested  it,  until, 
lights  being  procured  from  the  ambulance,  the  hand- 
kerchief, which  had  slipped  a  little,  was  readjusted. 
His  calmness  amid  the  dangers  that  surrounded  him, 
and  at  the  supposed  presence  of  death,  and  his  uni- 
form politeness  did  not  forsake  him  even  under  these 
most  trying  circumstances.  His  complete  control,  too, 
over  his  mind,  enfeebled  as  it  was  by  loss  of  blood 
and  pain,  was  wonderful.  His  suffering  at  this  time 
was  intense  ;  his  hands  were  cold,  his  skin  clammy, 
his  face  pale,  and  his  lips  compressed  and  bloodless ; 
not  a  groan  escaped  him  —  not  a  sign  of  suffering, 
except  the  slight  corrugation  of  his  brow,  the  fixed, 
rigid  face,  and  the  thin  lips,  so  tightly  compressed 
that  tlie  impression  of  the  teeth  could  be  seen 
through  them.  Except  these,  he  controlled  by  his 
iron  will  all  evidences  of  emotion,  and,  more  difficult 
28 


434      LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

than  this  even,  he  controlled  that  disposition  to  rest- 
lessness, which  many  of  us  have  observed  upon  the 
field  of  battle,  attending  great  loss  of  blood.  Some 
whiskey  and  morphia  were  administered  to  him,  and, 
placing  him  in  the  ambulance,  it  was  started  for  the 
Corps  Field  Infirmary,  at  the  Wilderness  Tavern. 
Colonel  Crutchfield,  his  chief  of  artillery,  was  also  in 
the  ambulance.  He  had  been  wounded  very  seriously 
in  the  leg,  and  was  suffering  intensely.  The  general 
expressed  very  feelingly  his  sympathy  for  Crutchfield, 
and  once,  when  the  latter  groaned  aloud,  he  directed 
the  ambulance  to  stop,  and  requested  me  to  see  if 
somethino:  could  not  be  done  for  his  relief.  Torches 
had  been  provided,  and  every  means  taken  to  carry 
them  to  the  hospital  as  safely  and  easily  as  possible. 
I  sat  in  the  front  part  of  the  ambulance,  with  my  fin- 
ger resting  upon  the  artery  above  the  wound  to  arrest 
bleeding  if  it  should  occur.  When  I  was  recognized 
by  acquaintances  and  asked  who  was  Avoundetl,  the 
general  would  tell  me  to  say,  '  A  Confederate  officer.' 
At  one  time  he  put  his  hand  upon  my  head,  and,  pull- 
ing me  down  to  him,  asked  if  Crutchfield  was  seriously 
Avounded.  When  answered,  '  No,  only  painfully  hurt^' 
he  replied,  '  I  am  glad  it  is  no  worse.'  In  a  few  min- 
utes afterwards  Crutchfield  did  the  same  thing,  and 
when  told  that  the  general  was  very  seriously  wound- 
ed, he  groaned  out,  '  Oh,  my  God  !'  It  was  for  this 
that  the  general  directed  the  ambulance  to  be  halted, 
and  requested  that  something  should  be  done  for 
Crutchliekrs  relief. 

"After  reaching  the  hospital  he  was  placed  in  bed, 
covered  with  blankets,  and  another  drink  of  whiskey 
and  water  given  hira.     Two  hours  and  a  half  elapsed 


HIS   LKFT    ARM    IS   AMPI'TAIKD.  -435 

before  sufficient  reaction  took  place   to  warrant  an 
examination. 

"At  two  o'clock  Sunday  morning,  Surgeons  Black, 
Walls,  and  Coleman  being  present,  I  informed  him 
that  chloroform  Avould  be  given  him,  and  his  wounds 
examined.  I  told  him  that  amputation  would  j^roba- 
bly  be  required,  and  asked,  if  it  was  found  necessary, 
whether  it  should  be  done  at  once.  He  replied  prompt- 
ly, '  Yes,  certainly.  Dr.  McGuire,  do  for  me  whatever 
you  think  best.'  Chloroform  was  then  administered, 
and  as  he  began  to  feel  its  effects  and  its  relief  to 
the  pain  he  was  suffering,  he  exclaimed,  '  What  an 
infinite  blessing'.'  and  continued  to  re])eat  the  word 
'  blessing'  until  he  became  insensible.  The  round  ball 
(such  as  is  used  in  a  smooth-bore  Springfield  musket), 
which  had  lodged  under  the  skin,  upon  the  back  of 
the  right  hand,  was  first  extracted.  It  had  entered 
the  palm  about  the  middle  of  the  hand,  and  fractured 
two  bones.  The  left  arm  was  then  amputated  about 
two  inches  below  the  shoulder,  very  rapidly,  and  with 
slight  loss  of  blood,  the  ordinary  circular  operation 
having  been  made.  There  were  two  wounds  in  this 
arm,  the  first  and  most  serious  was  about  tliree  inches 
below  the  shoulder-joint,  the  ball  dividing  the  mam 
artery,  and  fracturing  the  bone.  The  second  was  sev- 
eral inches  in  leno-th — a  ball  havintr  entered  the  out- 
side  of  the  forearm,  an  inch  below  the  elbow,  came 
out  upon  the  opposite  side,  just  above  the  wrist. 
Throughout  the  whole  of  the  operation,  and  until  all 
the  dressings  were  applied,  he  continued  insensible. 
Two  or  three  slight  wounds  of  the  skin  of  his  face, 
received  from  the  branches  of  trees,  when  his  horse 
dashed  through  the  woods,  were  dressed  simply  with 


436  LIFE   OF    GENERAL   THOMAS   J.  JACKSOX. 

isinglass  plaster.  About  half-past  three  o'clock  Colo- 
nel (then  Major)  Pendleton,  the  assistant  adjutant-gen- 
eral, arrived  at  the  hospital  and  asked  to  see  General 
Jackson.  He  stated  that  General  Hill  had  been  wound- 
ed, and  that  the  troops  were  in  great  disorder.  Gen- 
eral Stuart  was  in  command,  and  had  sent  him  to  see 
the  general.  At  first  I  declined  to  permit  the  inter- 
view, but  the  colonel  urged  that  the  safety  of  the  army 
and  the  success  of  the  cause  depended  upon  his  seeing 
him.  When  he  entered  the  tent  the  general  said : 
'  Well,  major,  I  am  glad  to  see  you,  I  thought  you 
were  killed.'  Pendleton  briefly  explained  the  condi- 
tion of  affairs,  gave  Stuart's  message,  and  asked  what 
should  be  done  ?  General  Jackson  was  at  once  inter- 
ested, and  asked,  in  his  quick,  rapid  way,  several  ques- 
tions. When  they  were  answered,  he  remained  silent 
for  a  moment,  evidently  trying  to  think  ;  he  contract- 
ed his  brow,  set  his  mouth,  and  for  some  moments  was 
evidently  trying  to  concentrate  his  thoughts.  For  a 
moment  it  was  believed  he  had  succeeded,  for  his  nos- 
trils dilated,  and  his  eye  flashed  its  old  fire,  but  it  was 
only  for  a  moment ;  his  face  relaxed  again,  and  pres- 
ently he  answered,  very  feebly  and  sadly,  'I  don't 
know,  I  can't  tell ;  say  to  General  Stuart  he  must  do 
what  he  thinks  best,'  Soon  after  this  he  slept  for  sev- 
eral hours  and  seemed  to  bo  doing  well.  The  next 
morning  he  was  free  from  pain,  and  expressed  himself 
sanguine  of  recovery.  lie  sent  his  aide-de-camp,  Mor- 
rison, to  inform  liis  wife  of  his  injuries,  and  to  bring 
her  at  once  to  him.  Tlie  following  note  from  General 
Lee  was  read  to  him  tliat  morning  by  Lieutenant 
Smith  :  '  1  have  just  received  your  note,  informing  me 
that  you  were  wounded.     I  cannot  express  my  regret 


ASKS  FOR  REPORTS  OF  THE  BATTLE.      437 

at  the  occurrence.  Could  I  have  directed  events,  I 
should  have  chosen,  for  the  good  of  the  country,  to 
have  been  disabled  in  your  stead,  I  congratulate  you 
upon  the  victory  which  is  due  to  your  skill  and  ener- 
gy,' He  replied,  '  General  Lee  should  give  the  praise 
to  God,'  About  ten  o'clock  his  right  side  began  to 
pain  him  so  much  that  he  asked  me  to  examine  it.  He 
said  he  had  injured  it  in  falling  from  the  litter  the 
night  before,  and  believed  he  had  struck  it  against  a 
stump  or  a  stone  or  a  sapling.  No  evidence  of  injury 
could  be  discovered  by  examination  ;  the  skin  was  not 
broken  or  bruised,  and  the  lung  performed,  so  far  as  I 
could  tell,  its  proper  function.  Some  simple  appli- 
cation was  recommended  in  the  belief  that  the  pain 
would  soon  disappear. 

"  At  this  time  the  battle  was  raging  fearfully,  and 
the  sound  of  the  cannon  and  musketry  could  be  dis- 
tinctly heard  at  the  hospital.  The  general's  attention 
was  attracted  to  it  from  the  first,  and  when  the  noise 
was  at  its  height,  and  indicated  how  fiercely  the  con- 
flict was  being  carried  on,  he  directed  all  of  his  attend- 
ants, except  Lieutenant  Smith  to  return  to  the  battle- 
field, and  attend  to  their  different  duties.  By  eight 
o'clock,  Sunday  night,  the  pain  in  his  side  had  disa]v 
peared,  and  in  all  respects  he  seemed  to  be  doing  well. 
He  inquired  minutely  about  the  battle  and  the  differ- 
ent troops  engaged,  and  his  face  woidd  light  up  with 
enthusiasm  and  interest  when  told  how  this  brifi-ade 
acted,  or  that  officer  displayed  consjiiciious  courage, 
and  his  head  gave  the  peculiar  shake  froni  side  to  side, 
and  he  uttered  his  usual  '  Good,  good  !'  with  unwonted 
energy  when  the  gallant  behavior  of  the  Stonewall 
Brigade  was  alluded  to.     He  said :  '  The  men  of  the 


438     LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

brigade  will  be,  some  day,  proud  to  say  to  their  chil- 
dren, "  I  was  one  of  the  Stonewall  Brigade.'' '  He 
disclaimed  an}"  right  of  his  own  to  the  name  Stone- 
wall. '  It  belongs  to  the  brigade,  and  not  to  me,  for 
it  was  their  steadfast  heroism  which  earned  it  at  First 
Manassas.  They  are  a  noble  body  of  men.'  This 
night  he  slept  well,  and  was  free  from  pain.  A  mes- 
sage was  received  from  General  Lee  the  next  morn- 
ins:,  directing  me  to  remove  the  o-eneral  to  Guinev's 
Station  as  soon  as  his  condition  should  justify  it,  as 
there  was  danger  of  capture  by  the  Federals,  who  were 
threatening  to  cross  Ely's  Ford.  In  the  meantime,  to 
protect  the  liospital,  some  troops  were  sent  to  this 
point.  The  general  objected  to  being  moved,  if.  in  my 
opinion,  it  would  do  him  any  injury.  lie  said  he  had 
no  objection  to  staying  in  the  tent,  and  would  prefer 
it,  if  his  wife,  when  she  came,  could  find  lodging  in  a 
neighboring  house.  '  And  if  the  enemy  does  come,' 
he  added,  '  I  am  not  afraid  of  them ;  I  have  always 
been  kind  to  their  wounded,  and  I  am  sure  they  will 
be  kind  to  me.'  General  Lee  sent  word  again,  late 
that  evening,  that  he  must  bo  moved,  if  possible,  and 
preparations  were  made  to  leave  the  next  morning. 
I  was  directed  to  accompany  and  remain  with  him, 
and  my  duties  with  the  corps,  as  medical  director, 
were  turned  over  to  the  surgeon  next  in  rank.  Gen- 
eral Jackson  had  previously  declined  to  permit  me  to 
go  with  him  to  Guiney's,  because  complaints  had  been 
so  frequently  made  of  general  officers,  when  wounded, 
carrying  off  with  them  the  surgeons  belonging  to  their 
commands.  When  informed  of  this  order  of  the  com- 
manding general,  he  said,  '  (ioneral  Lee  has  always 
been  very  kind  to  me,  and  I  thank  him.'     Yery  early 


CONVEYED  TO   GUINEY'S   STATION.  439 

Tuesday  morning  be  was  placed  in  the  ambulance,  and 
started  for  Guiney's  Station,  and  about  eight  o'clock 
that  evening  we  arrived  at  the  Chandler  House,  where 
we  remained  till  he  died.     Captain  Hotchkiss,  with  a 
party  of  engineers,  was  sent  in  front  to  clear  the  road 
of  weed  and  stone,  etc.,  and  to  order  the  wagons  out 
of  the  track  to  let  the  ambulance  pass.     The  rough 
teamsters  sometimes   refused   to   move   their  loaded 
wagons  out  of  the  way  for  an  ambulance,  until  told 
that  it  contained  Jackson,  and  then,  with  all  possible 
speed,  they  gave  the  way,  and  stood  with  their  hats 
off,  and  weeping,  as  he  went  by.     At  Spottsylvania 
Court -House,  and  along  the  whole  route,  men  and 
women  rushed  to  the  ambulance,  bringing  all  the  poor 
delicacies  they  had,  and  with  tearful  eyes  they  blessed 
him,  and  prayed  for  his  recovery.     He  bore  the  jour- 
ney well,  and  was  cheerful  throughout  the  day.     He 
talked  freely  about  the  late  battle,  and  among  other 
things  said  that  he  had  intended  to  endeavor  to  cut 
the  Federals  off  from  the  United  States  Ford,  and, 
taking  a  position  between  them  and  the  river,  oblige 
them  to  attack  him  ;  and  he  added,  with  a  smile,  '  My 
men  sometimes  fail  to  drive  the  enemy  from  their  posi- 
tion, but  they  always  fail  to  drive  us  away.'    He  spoke 
of  Rodes,  and  alluded  in  high  terms  to  his  magnificent 
behavior  on  the  field  Saturday  evening.     He  hoped  he 
would  be  promoted.     He  thought  promotions  for  gal- 
lantry should  be  made  at  once,  upon  the  field,  and  they 
would  be  great  incentives  to  gallantry  in  others.     He 
spoke  of  Colonel  Willis,  who  commanded  the  skirmish- 
ers of  Rodes's  Division,  and  praised  him  very  highly, 
and  referred  to  the  deaths  of  Paxton  and  Boswell 
very  feehngly.    He  alluded  to  them  as  officers  of  great 


440  LIFE   OF   GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

merit  and  promise.  The  day  was  quite  warm,  and  at 
one  time  he  suffered  with  slight  nausea.  At  his  sug- 
gestion I  placed  over  his  stomach  a  wet  towel,  and  he 
expressed  great  relief  from  it.  After  he  arrived  at 
the  Chandler  House,  he  ate  some  bread  and  tea  with 
evident  relish,  and  slept  well  throughout  the  entire 
night.  Wednesday  he  was  thought  to  be  doing  re- 
markablv  well.  He  ate  heartilv  for  one  in  his  condi- 
tion,  and  was  uniformly  cheerful. 

"  I  found  his  wounds  to  be  doing  very  well  to-day. 
Union  by  the  first  intention  had  taken  place,  to  some 
extent  in  the  stump,  and  the  rest  of  the  surface  of  the 
wound  was  covered  with  healthy  granulations.  The 
wound  in  his  hand  gave  him  little  pain,  and  the  dis- 
charge was  healthy.  ...  He  expressed  great  satis- 
faction when  told  that  his  wounds  were  healing,  and 
asked  if  I  could  tell  from  their  appearance  how  long 
he  would  probably  be  kept  from  the  field.  Convers- 
insr  with  Lieutenant  Smith  a  few  moments  afterwards, 
he  alluded  to  his  injuries,  and  said,  '  Many  would  re- 
gard them  as  a  great  misfortune,  but  I  regard  them 
as  one  of  the  blessings  of  my  life.'  Smith  replied, 
'  All  things  work  together  for  the  good  of  them  that 
love  God.'     '  Yes,'  he  answered,  '  that's  it,  that's  it.' 

"  About  one  o'clock  Thursday  morning,  while  I  was 
asleep  upon  a  lounge  in  his  room,  he  directed  his  ser- 
vant, Jim,  to  apply  a  wet  towel  to  his  stomach,  to 
relieve  an  attack  of  nausea,  with  which  he  was  again 
troubled.  The  servant  asked  permission  to  first  con- 
sult me,  but  the  general,  knowing  that  I  had  slept 
none  for  nearly  three  nights,  refused  to  allow  me  to 
be  disturbed,  and  demanded  the  towel.  About  day- 
liglit  I  was  aroused,  and  found  him  suffering  great 


EXAMINATION   OF   THE   WOUND.  44I 

pain.  An  examination  disclosed  pleuro-pneumonia  of 
the  riglit  side.  I  believed,  and  the  consulting  physi- 
cians concurred  in  the  opinion,  that  it  was  attributable 
to  the  fall  from  the  litter  the  night  he  was  wounded. 
The  general  himself  referred  to  this  accident.  I  think 
the  disease  came  on  too  soon  after  the  application  of 
the  wet  cloths  to  admit  of  the  supposition,  once  be- 
liev^ed,  that  it  was  induced  by  them.  The  nausea,  for 
which  the  cloths  were  applied  that  night,  may  have 
been  the  result  of  inflammation  already  begun.  Con- 
tusion of  the  lung  with  extravasation  of  blood  in  his 
chest  was  probably  produced  by  the  fall  referred  to, 
and  shock  and  loss  of  blood  prevented  any  ill  effects 
until  reaction  had  been  well  established,  and  then 
inflammation  ensued.  .  .  .  Towards  the  evening  he 
became  better,  and  hopes  were  again  entertained  of 
his  recovery. 

"  Mrs.  Jackson  arrived  to-day,  and  nursed  him  faith- 
fully to  the  end.  .  .  .  The  general's  joy  at  the  presence 
of  his  wife  and  child  was  very  great,  and  for  him 
unusually  demonstrative." 

After  recovering  from  the  effects  of  chloroform.  Gen- 
eral Jackson  asked  Lieutenant  Smith  whether  he  said 
anything  when  under  its  power,  and  he  continued  :  "  I 
have  always  thought  it  wrong  to  administer  chloroform 
where  there  is  a  probability  of  immediate  death.  But 
it  was,  I  think,  the  most  delightful  physical  sensation 
I  ever  enjo3^ed.  I  had  enough  consciousness  to  know 
what  was  doing ;  and  at  one  time  thought  I  heard  the 
most  delightful  music  that  ever  greeted  my  ears.  I 
believe  it  was  the  sawing  of  the  bone.  But  I  should 
dislike,  above  all  things,  to  enter  eternity  in  such  a  con- 


442  LIFE   OF   GENERAL    THOMAS  J.  JACKSOX. 

dition."  He  afterwards  said  to  other  friends,  "  What 
an  inestimable  blessing  is  chloroform  to  the  sufferer !" 

After  the  operation,  when  Mr,  Lacy  was  admitted 
to  the  tent,  he  exclaimed  with  deep  feeling,  "  Oh, 
general,  what  a  calamity  I"  General  Jackson,  with 
his  accustomed  politeness,  first  thanked  him  for  his 
sympathy,  and  then  said :  "  You  see  me  severely 
wounded,  but  not  depressed ;  not  unhappy.  I  believe 
it  has  been  done  according  to  God's  holy  will,  and  I 
acquiesce  entirely  in  it.  You  may  think  it  strange ; 
but  you  never  saw  me  more  perfectly  contented  than 
I  am  to-day ;  for  I  am  sure  that  my  Heavenly  Father 
designs  this  affliction  for  my  good.  I  am  perfectly 
satisfied  that,  either  in  this  life,  or  in  that  which  is 
to  come,  I  shall  discover  that  what  is  now  regarded 
as  a  calamity  is  a  blessing.  And  if  it  appears  a  great 
calamity,  as  it  surely  will  be  a  great  inconvenience, 
to  be  deprived  of  my  arm,  it  will  result  in  a  great 
blessing.  I  caj;i  wait  until  God,  in  His  own  time, 
shall  make  known  to  me  the  object  He  has  in  thus 
afflicting  me.  But  why  should  I  not  rather  rejoice 
in  it  as  a  blessing,  and  not  look  on  it  as  a  calamity 
at  all  ?  If  it  were  in  my  power  to  replace  my  arm,  I 
would  not  dare  to  do  it,  unless  I  could  know  it  was 
the  will  of  my  Heavenly  Father." 

In  the  course  of  this  conversation  he  stated  that, 
when  he  fell  from  the  litter,  he  thought  he  should  die 
upon  the  field,  and  gave  himself  up  into  the  hands  of 
God,  without  a  fear,  and  in  the  possession  of  perfect 
peace.  "  It  has  been,"  he  said,  "  a  precious  cxi)erience 
to  me,  that  I  was  brought  face  to  face  witli  deatli, 
and  found  all  was  well.  I  then  learned  an  important 
lesson,  that  one  who  has  been  the  subject  of  convert- 


OPINION    OF   HOOKER'S   PLAN   OK   CAMPAIGN.        443 

ing  grace,  and  is  the  child  ot  God,  can,  in  the  midst 
of  the  severest  sufferings,  fix  the  thouglits  upon  God 
and  heavenl}''  things,  and  derive  great  comfort  and 
peace ;  but  that  one  who  had  never  made  his  peace 
with  God  would  be  unable  to  control  his  mind,  under 
such  sufferings,  so  as  to  understand  properly  the  way 
of  salvation,  and  repent  and  believe  on  Christ.  I  felt 
that  if  I  had  neglected  the  salvation  of  my  soul  be- 
fore, it  would  have  been  too  late  then." 

"When  General  Lee  was  first  informed  of  the  vic- 
tory gained  by  General  Jackson's  flank  movement, 
and  almost  in  the  same  breath  the  great  catastrophe 
of  the  fall  of  his  lieutenant  was  announced  to  him,  he 
exclaimed  with  deep  emotion,  "Ah,  any  victory  is 
dearly  bought  which  deprives  us  of  the  services  of 
Jackson,  even  for  a  short  time."  lie  was  then  told 
that  Jackson  had  said,  "  The  enemy  should  be  pressed 
in  the  morning."  "Those  people  shall  be  immedi- 
ately pressed,"  he  rephed,  and  forthwith  addressed 
himself  to  the  work. 

General  Stuart  was  placed  in  command  of  Jack- 
son's corps,  and  as  he  led  them  to  battle  he  gave  the 
order,  "  Charge !  and  remember  Jackson !"  an  ap- 
peal which  was  answered  by  their  courage  on  the 
second  day  of  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville. 

Jackson  was  asked  what  he  thought  of  Hooker's 
plan  of  campaign,  and  his  reply  was:  "It  was,  in  the 
main,  a  good  conception,  sir;  an  excellent  plan.  But 
he  should  not  have  sent  away  his  cavalry ;  that  was 
his  great  blunder.  It  was  that  which  enabled  me  to 
turn  him  without  his  being  aware  of  it,  and  to  take 
him  by  his  rear.  Had  he  kept  his  cavalry  with  him, 
his  plan  would  have  been  a  very  good  one."    In  speak- 


444      LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

ing  of  this  flank  movement,  he  said  :  "  Our  movement 
yesterday  was  a  great  success ;  I  think  the  most  suc- 
cessful military  movement  of  my  life.  But  I  expect 
to  receive  far  more  credit  for  it  than  1  deserve.  Most 
men  will  think  that  I  had  planned  it  all  from  the  first; 
but  it  was  not  so.  I  siraph'^  took  advantage  of  cir- 
cumstances as  they  were  presented  to  me  in  the  provi- 
dence of  God.  I  feel  that  His  hand  led  me — let  us 
give  Ilim  all  the  glory." 

On  Tuesday  he  was  told  that  Hooker  was  in- 
trenched north  of  Chancellorsville,  when  he  said, 
"  That  is  bad  ;  very  bad."  Afterwards,  upon  awaken- 
ing from  a  disturbed  sleep  from  the  influence  of  opi- 
ates, he  exclaimed,  "Major  Pendleton,  send  in  and 
see  if  there  is  higher  ground  back  of  Chancellorsville." 

During  the  few  days  succeeding  his  fall,  when  he 
and  his  friends  were  buoyed  up  by  the  hope  of  his 
recovery,  he  conversed  freely  and  cheerfully,  and  ex- 
pressed a  desire  to  be  taken,  as  soon  as  he  w^as  able, 
to  his  beloved  home  at  Lexington,  where,  he  said, 
the  pure,  bracing  mountain  air  would  soon  heal  his 
wounds  and  renew  his  strength  and  health. 

lie  requested  Mr.  Lacy  to  come  every  morning  at 
ten  o'clock  and  read  the  Bible,  and  have  prayers  at 
his  bedside.  During  these  morning  hours  he  greatly 
enjoyed  religious  conversation,  and  ex})ressed  his  un- 
varying and  steadfast  love  and  hope  in  his  Redeemer. 
Although  he  had  avowed  his  perfect  willingness  to 
die  whenever  God  called  him,  he  believed  that  his 
time  was  not  yet  come,  and  that  God  still  had  a  work 
for  him  to  do  in  defence  of  his  country. 

"  He  delighted  to  enlarge  on  his  favorite  topics  of 


RELIGION   TO   BE   CARRIED   INTO   EVERYTHING.      44.") 

practical   religion,  which    were   such   as   these:   The 
Christian  should  carry  his  religion  into  everythino-. 
Christianity  makes  a  man  better  in  any  lawful  call- 
ing; it  makes  the  general  a  better  commander,  and 
the  shoemaker  a  better  workman.    In  the  case  of  a 
cobbler,  or  the  tailor,  for  instance,  religion  AAill  pro- 
duce more  care  in  promising  work,  more  punctuality, 
and  more  fidelity  in  executing  it,  from  conscientious 
motives ;  and  these  homely  examples  were  fair  illus- 
trations of  its  value  in  more  exalted  functions.     So, 
prayer  aids  any  man,  in  any  lawful  business,  not  only 
by  bringing  down   the   divine  blessing,  which  is   its 
direct   and  primary   object,  but  by   harmonizing  his 
own  mind  and  heart.     In  the  commander  of  an  army 
at  the  critical  hour,  it  calms  his  perplexities,  moder- 
ates his  anxieties,  steadies  the  scales  of  judgment, 
and  thus  preserves  him  from  exaggerated  and  rash 
conclusions.     Again  he  urged  that  every  act  of  man's 
life  should  be  a  religious  act.     He  recited  Avith  much 
pleasure  the  ideas  of  Doddridge,  where  he  pictured 
himself  as  spiritualizing  every  act  of  his  daily  life; 
as  thinking,  when  he  washed  himself,  of  the  cleans- 
ing blood  of  Calvary ;  as  praying,  while  he  put  on  his 
garments,  that  he  might  be  clothed  with  the  robe  of 
Christ's  righteousness ;  as  endeavormg,  while  he  was 
eating,  to  feed  upon  the  Bread  of  Heaven.     So  Jack- 
son was  wont  to  say  that  the  Bible  furnished  men 
with  rules  for  everything.     If  they  would  search,  he 
said,  they  would  find  a  precept,  an  example,  or  a  gen- 
eral principle,  applicable  to  every  possible  emergency 
of  duty,  no  matter  what  was  a  man's  calling.     There 
the    military    man    might  find  guidance  for  every 
exigency.     Then,  turning  to  Lieutenant   Smith,  he 


446     LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

asked  him,  smiling:  'Can  you  tell  me  where  the 
Bible  gives  generals  a  model  for  their  official  reports 
of  battles  V  The  lieutenant  answered,  laughing,  that 
it  never  entered  his  mind  to  think  of  looking  for  such 
a  thing  in  the  Scriptures.  'Nevertheless,'  said  the 
general,  '  there  are  such ;  and  excellent  models,  too. 
Look,  for  instance,  at  the  narrative  of  Joshua's  bat- 
tle with  the  Amalekites ;  there  you  have  one.  It 
has  clearness,  brevity,  fairness,  modesty ;  and  it  traces 
the  victory  to  its  right  source — the  blessing  of  trod." 

One  day  he  asked  Dr.  McGnire  w^hether  he  sup- 
posed the  diseased  persons  healed  by  the  miraculous 
touch  of  the  Saviour  ever  suffered  again  from  the 
same  malady.  He  did  not  believe  they  did  ;  that  the 
healing  virtue  of  Christ  was  too  potent,  and  that  the 
poor  paralytic  to  whom  He  had  once  said,  "I  will: 
be  thou  healed,"  never  shook  again  with  palsy.  And 
then,  as  though  invoking  the  same  aid,  he  exclaimed  : 
"Oh  for  infinite  power!"  After  quietly  reflecting 
awhile,  he  inquired  of  Mr.  Smith :  "  What  w^ere  the 
headquarters  of  Christianity  after  the  crucifixion?" 
He  replied  that  Jerusalem  was  at  first  the  chief  seat ; 
but  after  the  dispersion  of  the  disciples  thence  by 
persecution,  there  was  none  for  a  time,  until  Antioch, 
Iconium,  Rome,  and  Alexandria,  Avere  finally  estab- 
lished as  centres  of  influence.  The  general  inter- 
rupted him :  "  Why  do  you  say  'centres  of  influence ;' 
is  not  headquarto's  a  better  term?"  After  some  fur- 
ther explanations  by  Mr.  Smith  (who  was  a  theo- 
logical student),  in  which  General  Jackson  was  much 
interested,  he  said:  "Mr.  Smith,  I  wisii  you  would 
get  the  map,  and  show  me  precisely  where  Iconium 


HIS  WIFE  UNABLE  TO  REACH  HIM.       447 

was."  He  replied  that  he  did  not  think  he  could  find 
a  map,  when  the  general  said,  "  Yes,  sir ;  you  will 
find  cin  atlas  in  my  old  trunk."  After  a  fruitless 
search,  Mr.  Smith  suggested  that  it  was  probably  left 
in  his  portable  desk.  He  said,  "  Yes,  you  are  right,  I 
ieft  it  in  my  desk  "  (naming  the  shelf).  Then  after  con- 
sidering a  moment,  he  added  :  "  Mr.  Smith,  I  wish  you 
would  examine  into  that  matter,  and  report  to  me.'''' 

After  the  bright  promise  of  his  recovery  began  to 
:liminish,  and  his  physicians  were  trying  every  known 
remedy,  one  of  them  aroused  him  from  a  troubled 
sleep  to  administer  some  draught,  saying,  "  Will  you 
take  this,  general  V  He  looked  up  steadily  into  his 
face,  and  resolutely  said,  "Do  your  duty."  He  re- 
peated the  command,  "  Do  your  duty " — his  mind 
evidently  wandering  back  to  the  camps  and  battle- 
fields, on  which  he  had  so  often  and  so  faithfully  urged 
this  injunction. 

In  resuming  my  sad  story  it  will  be  explained  why 
I  was  not  able  to  reach  my  husband  for  five  days 
after  he  was  wounded,  but  no  tongue  or  pen  can 
express  the  torturing  suspense  and  distress  of  mind 
which  I  endured  during  this  period  of  enforced  ab- 
sence from  him.  As  I  have  before  stated,  kind  friends 
took  me  to  their  hospitable  homes  in  Richmond. 
After  spending  a  few  days  with  Mrs.  Letcher  in  the 
governor's  mansion,  I  was  invited  by  Mrs.  Hoge  and 
Mrs.  William  Brown  (who  lived  together)  to  the  resi- 
dence of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Moses  D.  Hoge,  who  was  at 
that  time  in  Europe,  on  a  mission  from  the  Confeder- 
ate States  government,  to  procure  Bibles  for  the  sol- 
diers. These  two  ladies  were  lovely  and  pleasant  in 
their  lives,  wliich  were  redolent  with  Christian  graces 


448  LIFE   OF   GENTIRAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSOX. 

and  usefulness,  and  much  of  their  time  was  devoted  to 
ministering  to  the  soldiers.  For  five  days  I  heard  not 
one  word  directly  from  my  husband,  but  despatches 
from  the  battle-field  were  constantly  received  by  the 
government,  representing  all  as  going  well,  and  victory 
was  confidently  expected. 

On  Sunday  morning,  May  3d,  as  we  arose  from 
family  worship  in  Dr.  Hoge's  parlor,  Dr.  Brown  ver}'- 
sadly  and  feelingly  informed  me  that  the  news  had 
come  that  General  Jackson  had  been  wounded — se- 
verely, but  it  was  hoped  not  dangerously.  This  pain- 
ful shock  can  be  better  imagined  than  described. 
Althousrh  I  had  never  for  one  moment  since  the  war 
began  lost  my  solicitude  for  his  safety,  still  God  had 
so  often  covered  his  head  in  the  day  of  battle,  had 
brought  him  through  so  many  dangers,  that  I  felt 
that  his  precious  life  would  still  be  spared.  With  all 
my  agonizing  distress  now,  I  could  not  entertain  any 
other  thought  or  belief  than  this.  Despatches  were 
sent  at  once  inquiring  into  his  condition,  and  asking 
if  I  could  go  to  him.  He  was  reported  as  doing  well, 
but  the  way  was  not  open  for  me  to  come  yet.  The 
raiding -parties  of  the  enemy  were  operating  all 
through  the  intervening  country — all  passenger  trains 
were  stopped,  and  to  go  through  the  country  in  pri- 
vate conveyance  exposed  travellers  to  capture.  So 
great  was  my  impatience  to  go  that  I  was  willing  to 
risk  this  danger,  but  the  railroad  authorities  were  so 
confident  of  opening  the  way  from  day  to  day  that 
friends  urged  me  to  wait  until  this  could  be  done. 
On  Tuesday  my  brother  Joseph  ari'ived,  to  my  great 
relief,  to  take  me  to  my  husband,  but  my  disa))point- 
ment   was  only  increased   by   his  report  that  it  had 


AT    LAST    ABLE   TO   GET   THROUlJH.  44!) 

taken  him  nearly  three  days  to  ride  through  the  coun- 
try and  elude  the  raiding  enemy,  and  this  confirmed 
the  conviction  of  my  friends  that  I  should  await  the 
opening  of  the  railroad.  From  Joseph  were  learned 
the  particulars  of  the  wounds  of  General  Jackson  and 
the  amputation  of  his  arm,  but  he  was  thought  to  be 
doing  as  well  as  possible  under  the  circumstances,  and 
was  brave  and  cheerful  in  spirit.  Everything  was 
said  and  done  to  cheer  and  encourage  me,  but  oh  the 
harrowing  agony  of  tliat  long  waiting,  day  after  day ! 
for  it  was  not  until  Thursday  morning  that  the  block- 
ade was  broken,  and  we  went  up  on  an  armed  train 
prepared  to  fight  its  way  through.  During  all  this 
long  period  of  anxiety  and  suspense,  my  unconscious 
little  nestling  was  all  sweetness  and  sunshine,  shed- 
ding the  only  brightness  and  comfort  over  my  dark- 
ened pathway. 

A  few  hours  of  unmolested  travel  brought  us  to 
Guiney's  Station,  and  we  were  taken  at  once  to  the 
residence  of  Mr.  Chandler,  which  was  a  large  country- 
house,  and  very  near  it,  in  the  yard,  was  a  small, 
humble  abode,  in  w^hich  lay  my  precious,  suffering 
husband.  The  Chandlers  were  extremely  kind — the 
good  hostess  expressing  great  regret  that  General 
Jackson  was  not  in  her  own  dwelling,  and  receiving 
the  very  best  of  everything  she  had  to  give ;  but  the 
house  was  occupied  by  sick  and  wounded  soldiers, 
some  of  whom  were  suffering  with  erysipelas,  and  it 
was  the  surgeons  who  had  selected  the  out-house  for 
the  general's  own  safety.  Upon  my  arrival  I  was 
met  by  a  member  of  his  staff,  who,  in  answer  to  my 
anxious  inquiry,  said  the  general  was  doing  "  pretty 
well ;"  but  from  his  tone  and  manner  I  knew  some- 
29 


450     LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSOX. 

thing  was  wrong,  and  my  heart  sank  hke  lead.  He 
said  the  doctor  was  then  engaged  in  dressing  his 
wounds,  and  I  could  not  be  admitted  to  his  room  un- 
til this  was  over.  The  time  could  not  have  been  long, 
but  it  seemed  to  me  hours,  so  sorely  had  I  already 
been  tried  by  "  hope  deferred  that  maketh  the  heart 
sick."  While  I  was  walking  off  my  impatience  on 
the  piazza,  my  attention  was  attracted  by  a  party  of 
soldiers  within  a  stone's-throw  of  the  house,  digging 
a  grave,  but  soon  I  was  horrified  to  see  them  exhum- 
ing a  coffin,  and  placing  it  above  the  ground.  Upon 
inquiry  it  proved  to  be  that  of  General  E.  F.  Paxton, 
of  Lexington,  who  had  fallen  in  the  late  battle,  whose 
body  was  to  be  taken  to  his  former  home  for  its  final 
interment.  My  husband's  own  neighbor  and  friend ! 
and  I  knew  the  young  wife,  and  remembered  how  I 
had  seen  her  weeping  bitterly  as  she  watched  his  de- 
parture from  her  in  those  first  days  of  the  war,  when 
all  our  hearts  were  well-nigh  bursting  with  foreboding 
and  dread,  jS'ow  the  cruel  war  had  done  its  worst 
for  her,  and  she  was  left  widowed,  and  her  children 
fatherless ! 

My  own  heart  almost  stood  still  under  the  Aveight 
of  horror  and  apprehension  which  then  oppressed 
me.  This  ghastly  spectacle  was  a  most  unfitting 
preparation  for  my  entrance  into  the  presence  of  my 
stricken  husband ;  but  when  I  was  soon  afterwards 
summoned  to  his  chamber,  the  sight  which  tliere 
met  ray  eyes  was  far  more  appalling,  and  sent  such 
a  thrill  of  agony  and  heart-sinking  through  me  as  I 
had  never  known  before !  Oh,  the  fearful  change 
since  last  I  had  seen  him  !  It  required  the  strongest 
effort  of  which  I  was  capable  to  maintain  my  self-con- 


AT   HIS   BEDSIDE.  4,3 1 

trol.  When  he  left  mc  on  the  morning  of  the  29th, 
going  forth  so  cheerfully  and  bravely  to  the  call  of 
duty,  he  was  in  the  full  Hush  of  vigorous  manhood, 
and  during  that  last,  blessed  visit,  I  never  saw  him 
look  so  handsome,  so  happy,  and  so  noble.  Now,  his 
fearful  Avounds,  his  mutilated  arm,  the  scratches 
upon  his  face,  and,  above  all,  the  desperate  pneumo- 
nia, which  was  flushing  his  cheeks,  oppressing  his 
breathing,  and  benumbing  his  senses,  wrung  my  soul 
with  such  grief  and  anguish  as  it  had  never  before  ex- 
perienced. He  had  to  be  aroused  to  speak  to  me,  and 
expressed  much  joy  and  thankfulness  at  seeing  me; 
but  he  was  too  much  affected  by  morphia  to  resist 
stupor,  and  soon  seemed  to  lose  the  consciousness  of 
my  presence,  except  when  1  spoke  or  ministered  to 
him.  From  the  time  I  reached  him  he  was  too  ill  to 
notice  or  talk  much,  and  he  lay  most  of  the  time  in  a 
semi-conscious  state  ;  but  when  aroused,  he  recoo-nized 
those  about  him  and  consciousness  would  return. 
Soon  after  I  entered  his  room  he  w^as  impressed  by 
the  woful  anxiety  and  sadness  betrayed  in  my  face, 
and  said :  "  My  darling,  you  must  cheer  up,  and  not 
wear  a  long  face.  I  love  cheerfulness  and  brightness 
in  a  sick-room.''  And  he  requested  me  to  speak  dis- 
tinctly, as  he  wished  to  hear  every  word  I  said. 
"Whenever  he  awakened  from  his  stupor,  he  always 
had  some  endearing  words  to  say  to  me,  such  as,  "  My 
darling,  you  are  very  much  loved ;"  "  You  are  one  of 
the  most  precious  little  Avives  in  the  world."  He  told 
me  he  knew  I  would  be  glad  to  take  his  place,  but 
God  knew  what  was  best  for  us.  Thinking  it  would 
cheer  him  more  than  anything  else  to  see  the  baby  in 
whom  he  had  so  delighted,  I  proposed  several  times 


452  LIFE   OF   GENERAL   THOMAS   J.  JACKSON. 

to  bring  her  to  his  bedside,  but  he  always  said,  "  Not 
yet ;  wait  till  I  feel  better."  He  was  invariably  pa- 
tient, never  uttering  a  murmur  or  complaint.  Some- 
times, in  slight  delirium,  he  talked,  and  his  mind  was 
then  generally  upon  his  military  duties— caring  for 
his  soldiers,  and  giving  such  directions  as  these : 
"  Tell  Major  Ilawkes  to  send  forward  provisions  to 
the  men ;"  "  Order  A.  P.  Hill  to  prepare  for  action  ;" 
"Pass  the  infantry  to  the  front,"  etc.  Our  friends 
around  us,  seeing  how  critical  was  his  condition,  and 
how  my  whole  time  was  given  up  to  him,  determined 
to  send  to  Kichmond  for  Mrs.  Hoge  to  come  to  my  re- 
lief, and  assist  in  taking  care  of  my  baby.  Hetty  had 
been  faitliful  to  her  little  charge,  but  the  presence  of 
Mrs.  Hoge,  who  was  of  a  singularly  bright,  affection- 
ate, and  sympathetic  nature,  and  her  loving  ministra- 
tions in  this  time  of  sorest  trial,  were  of  inestimable 
value  and  comfort. 

Friday  and  Saturday  passed  in  much  the  same  way 
— bringing  no  favorable  change  to  the  dear  sufferer; 
indeed,  his  fever  and  restlessness  increased,  and,  al- 
though everything  was  done  for  his  relief  and  benefit, 
he  was  growing  perceptibly  weaker.  On  Saturday 
evening,  in  the  hope  of  soothing  him,  I  proposed  read- 
ing some  selections  from  the  Psalms.  At  first  he  re- 
plied that  he  was  suffering  too  much  to  hsten,  but 
very  soon  he  added  :  "  Yes,  we  must  never  refuse 
that.    Get  the  Bible  and  read  them." 

As  night  approached,  and  he  grew  more  wearied, 
he  requested  mo  to  sing  to  him — asking  that  the  songs 
should  be  tlie  most  spiritual  tluit  could  be  selected. 
My  brother  Joseph  assisted  me  in  singing  a  few 
hvmns,  and  at  my  luisbaiurs  request  we  concluded 
with  the  51st  Psalm  in  verse: 


THE   END   DRAWING  NEAR.  453 

"  Show  pity,  Lord  ;  O  Lord,  forgive." 

The  singing  had  a  quieting  effect,  and  he  seemed 
to  rest  in  perfect  peace. 

Dr.  S.  B.  Morrison,  a  relative  of  mine,  and  Dr. 
David  Tucker,  of  Richmond,  had  both  been  called  in 
consultation  by  Dr.  McGuire.  As  Dr.  Morrison  was 
examining  the  patient,  he  looked  up  pleasantly  at 
him,  and  said,  "  That's  an  old  familiar  face." 

On  Saturday  afternoon  he  asked  to  see  his  chaplain, 
Mr.  Lacy,  but  his  respiration  being  now  very  difficult, 
it  was  not  thought  prudent  for  him  to  converse,  and 
an  attempt  was  made  to  dissuade  him.  But  he  was 
so  persistent  that  it  was  deemed  best  to  gratify  him. 
When  Mr.  Lacy  entered  he  inquired  of  him  if  he  was 
trying  to  further  those  views  of  Sabbath  observance 
of  which  lie  had  spoken  to  him.  Upon  being  assured 
that  this  was  being  done,  he  expressed  much  gratifica- 
tion, and  talked  for  some  time  upon  that  subject — his 
last  care  and  effort  for  the  church  of  Christ  being  to 
secure  tlie  sanctification  of  the  Lord's  day. 

Apprehending  the  nearness  of  his  end,  Mr.  Lacy 
wished  to  remain  Avith  him  on  Sunday,  but  he  insisted 
that  he  should  go,  as  usual,  and  preach  to  the  soldiers. 
When  Major  Pendleton  came  to  his  bedside  about 
noon,  he  inquired  of  him,  "  Who  is  ])reaching  at 
headquarters  to-day  V  When  told  that  Mr.  Lacy 
was,  and  that  the  whole  army  was  praying  for  him, 
he  said,  "  Thank  God ;  they  are  very  kind."  As  soon 
as  the  chaplain  appeared  at  headquarters  that  morn- 
ing, General  Lee  anxiously  inquired  after  General 
Jackson's  condition,  and  upon  hearing  how  hopeless 
it  was,  he  exclaimed,  with  deep  feeling:  "Surely 
General  Jackson  must  recover.    God  will  not  take  him 


454         lifp:  of  general  thomas  j.  jackson. 

from  us,  now  that  we  need  him  so  much.  Surely  he 
will  be  spared  to  us,  in  answer  to  the  many  prayers 
which  are  offered  for  him.''  And  upon  Mr.  Lacy's 
leaving,  he  said :  "  When  you  return,  I  trust  you 
will  find  him  better.  When  a  suitable  occasion  offers, 
give  him  my  love,  arid  tell  him  that  I  wrestled  in 
prayer  for  him  last  night  as  I  never  prayed,  I  believe, 
for  myself."  Here  his  voice  became  choked  with  emo- 
tion, and  he  turned  away  to  hide  his  intense  feeling. 

Shortly  after  the  general's  fall,  and  before  his  situa- 
tion had  grown  so  critical.  General  Lee  sent  him,  by 
a  friend,  the  following  message  :  "  Give  him  my  af- 
fectionate regards,  and  tell  him  to  make  haste  and  get 
well,  and  come  back  to  me  as  soon  as  he  can.  He  has 
lost  his  left  arm,  but  I  have  lost  my  right  arm." 

Mr.  Lacy  was  truly  a  spiritual  comforter  and  help 
to  me  in  those  dark  and  agonizing  days.  Often  when 
I  was  called  out  of  the  sick  chamber  to  my  little  nurs- 
ling, before  returning  we  would  meet  together,  and, 
bowing  down  before  the  throne  of  grace,  pour  out 
our  hearts  to  God  to  spare  that  precious,  useful  life, 
if  consistent  with  Ills  xolll ;  for  without  this  condi- 
tion, which  the  Saviour  himself  enjoins,  we  dared  not 
plead  for  that  life,  infinitely  dearer,  as  it  was,  than 
my  own. 

In  order  to  stimulate  his  fast- failing  powers,  he 
was  offered  some  brandy  and  water,  but  he  showed 
great  repugnance  to  it,  saying  excitedly,  "  It  tastes 
like  fire^  and  cannot  do  me  any  good."  Early  on 
Sunday  morning,  the  10th  of  May,  I  was  called  out 
of  the  sick-room  by  Dr.  Morrison,  who  told  me  that 
the  doctors,  having  done  everytliing  that  human  skill 
could  devise  to  stav  the  hand  of  death,  had  lost  all 


SINKING  INTO   UNCONSCIOUSNESS.  455 

hope,  and  that  my  precious,  brave,  noble  husband 
could  not  live !  Indeed,  life  was  fast  ebbing  away,  and 
they  felt  that  they  must  prepare  me  for  the  inevi- 
table event,  which  was  now  a  question  of  only  a  few- 
short  hours.  As  soon  as  I  could  arise  from  this  stun- 
ning blow,  I  told  Dr.  Morrison  that  my  husband  must 
be  informed  of  his  condition.  I  well  knew  that  death 
to  him  was  but  the  opening  of  the  gates  of  pearl  into 
the  inneffable  glories  of  heaven ;  but  I  had  heard  him 
say  that,  although  he  was  willing  and  ready  to  die  at 
any  moment  that  God  might  call  him,  still  he  would 
prefer  to  have  a  few  hours'  preparation  before  entering 
into  the  presence  of  his  Maker  and  Redeemer. 

I  therefore  felt  it  to  be  my  duty  to  gratify  his 
desire.  He  now  appeared  to  be  fast  sinking  into  un- 
consciousness, but  he  heard  my  voice  and  understood 
me  better  than  others,  and  God  gave  me  the  strength 
and  composure  to  hold  a  last  sacred  interview  with 
him,  in  which  I  tried  to  impress  upon  him  his  situa- 
tion, and  learn  his  dying  wishes.  This  was  all  the 
harder,  because  he  had  never,  from  the  time  that  he 
first  rallied  from  his  Avounds,  thought  he  would  die, 
and  had  expressed  the  belief  that  God  still  had 
work  for  him  to  do,  and  would  raise  him  up  to  do 
it.  When  I  told  him  the  doctors  thought  he  would 
soon  be  in  heaven,  he  did  not  seem  to  comprehend 
it,  and  showed  no  surprise  or  concern.  But  upon 
repeating  it,  and  asking  him  if  he  was  willing  for 
God  to  do  with  him  according  to  His  own  will,  he 
looked  at  me  calmly  and  intelligently,  and  said, 
"  Yes,  I  prefer  it,  I  jprefer  iV  I  then  told  him  that 
before  that  day  was  over  he  would  be  with  the 
blessed  Saviour  in  His  glory.     With  perfect  distinct- 


456  I^IFE   OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

ness  and  intelligence,  he  said,  '•  I  will  be  an  infinite 
gainer  to  be  translated."  I  then  asked  him  if  it  was 
his  wish  that  I  should  return,  with  our  infant,  to 
my  father's  home  in  North  Carolina.  He  answered, 
"'  Yes,  you  have  a  kind,  good  father ;  but  no  one  is 
so  kind  and  good  as  your  Heavenly  Father."  He 
said  he  had  many  things  to  say  to  me,  but  he  was 
then  too  weak.  Preferring  to  know  his  own  desire 
as  to  the  place  of  his  burial,  I  asked  him  the  ques- 
tion, but  his  mind  was  now  growing  clouded  again, 
and  at  first  he  replied,  "  Charlotte,"  and  afterwards 
"Charlottesville."  I  then  asked  hira  if  he  did  not 
wish  to  be  buried  in  Lexington,  and  he  answered  at 
once,  "  Yes,  Lexington,  and  in  my  own  plotP  He 
had  bought  this  plot  himself,  when  our  first  child 
died,  as  a  burial,  place  for  his  family, 

Mrs.  Hoge  now  came  in,  bearing  little  Julia  in  her 
arms,  with  Hetty  following,  and  although  he  had  al- 
most ceased  to  notice  anything,  as  soon  as  they  entered 
the  door  he  looked  up,  his  countenance  brightened 
with  delight,  and  he  never  smiled  more  sweetly  as  he 
exclaimed,  "  Little  darling  !  sw^eet  one  !"  She  was 
seated  on  the  bed  by  his  side,  and  after  Avatching  her 
intently,  with  radiant  smiles,  for  a  few  moments,  he 
closed  his  eyes,  as  if  in  prayer.  Though  she  was  suf- 
fering the  pangs  of  extreme  hunger,  from  long  absence 
from  her  mother,  she  seemed  to  forget  her  discomfort 
in  the  joy  of  seeing  that  loving  face  beam  on  her  once 
more,  and  she  looked  at  him  and  smiled  as  long  as  he 
continued  to  notice  her.  Tears  were  shed  over  that 
dying  bed  by  strong  men  who  were  unused  to  weep, 
and  it  was  touching  to  see  the  genuine  grief  of  his 
servant,  Jim,  who  nursed  him  faithfully  to  the  end. 


"LET   US   CROSS  OVER  THE  RIVER."  457 

He  now  sank  rapidly  into  unconsciousness,  murmur- 
ing disconnected  words  occasionally,  but  all  at  once 
he  spoke  out  very  cheerfully  and  distinctly  the  beau- 
tiful sentence  which  has  become  immortal  as  his  last : 
"  Let  us  cross  over  the  river,  and  rest  under  the  shade 
of  the  trees." 

"AVas  his  soul  wandering  back  in  dreams  to  the 
river  of  his  beloved  Valley,  the  Shenandoah  (the  '  river 
of  sparkling  waters '),  whose  verdant  meads  and  groves 
he  had  redeemed  from  the  invader,  and  across  whose 
floods  he  had  so  often  won  his  passage  through  the 
toils  of  battle?  Or  was  he  reaching  forward  across 
the  River  of  Death,  to  the  golden  streets  of  the  Celes- 
tial City,  and  the  trees  whose  leaves  are  for  the  heal- 
ing of  the  nations  ?  It  was  to  these  that  God  was  bring- 
ing him,  through  his  last  battle  and  victory ;  and  un- 
der their  shade  he  walks,  with  the  blessed  company  of 
the  redeemed." 

General  Jackson  had  expressed  the  desire,  when  in 
health,  that  he  might  enter  into  the  rest  that  remains 
for  God's  people  on  the  Lord's  day.  His  wish  was 
now  gratified,  and  his  Heavenly  Father  translated  him 
from  the  toils  and  trials  of  earth,  soon  after  the  noon 
of  as  beautiful  and  perfect  a  May  day  as  ever  shed  its 
splendor  upon  this  world,  to  those  realms  of  everlast- 
ing rest  and  bliss  where 

"  Sabbaths  have  uo  end, 
And  the  noontide  of  glory  eternally  reigns." 

Never  shall  I  forget  Mr.  Lacy's  ministrations  of  con- 
solation to  my  bleeding  heart  on  that  holiest  of  Sab- 
bath afternoons.  Seated  by  my  bedside,  he  talked  so 
of  Heaven,  giving  such  glowing  descriptions  of  its 


458  LIFE   OF  GENERAL   THOMAS   J.  JACKSON. 

blessedness,  and  following  in  imagination  the  ran- 
somed, glorified  spirit,  through  the  gates  into  the  city, 
that  at  last  peace,  the  "  peace  of  God,"  came  into  my 
soul,  and  I  felt  that  it  was  selfish  to  wish  to  bring 
back  to  this  sorrowful  earth,  for  my  happiness,  one 
who  had  made  such  a  bhssful  exchange.  But  this 
frame  of  mind  did  not  last,  and  many  were  the  sub- 
sequent conflicts  to  attain  and  keep  this  spirit. 

The  remains  were  carefully  prepared  by  the  loving- 
hands  of  the  staff-oificers,  the  body  being  embalmed 
and  clothed  in  an  ordinary  dress,  and  then  wrapped 
in  a  dark-blue  military  overcoat.  His  Confederate 
uniform  had  been  cut  almost  to  pieces  by  his  attend- 
ants, in  their  endeavor  to  reach  and  bind  up  his  wounds, 
on  the  night  of  his  fall.  Late  in  the  evening  I  went 
into  Mr.  Chandler's  parlor  to  see  all  that  was  left  of 
the  one  who  had  been  to  me  the  truest,  tenderest,  and 
dearest  of  all  the  relations  of  earth — the  husband  of 
whom  I  had  been  so  proud,  and  for  whom  I  thought 
no  honors  or  distinctions  too  great ;  but  above  all  this 
I  prized  and  revered  his  exalted  Christian  character, 
and  knew  that  God  had  now  given  him  "  a  crown  of 
righteousness." 

Yet  how  unspeakable  and  incalculable  was  his  loss 
to  me  and  that  fatherless  baby  !  Dead  !  in  the  merid- 
ian of  his  grand  life,  before  he  had  attained  the  age 
of  forty  years !     But  "  alive  in  Christ^-''  for  evermore ! 

All  traces  of  suffering  had  disappeared  from  the 
noble  face,  and,  although  somewhat  emaciated,  the 
expression  was  serene  and  elevated,  and  he  looked  far 
more  natural  than  I  had  dared  to  hope, 

Tiiat  night,  after  a  few  hours'  sleep  from  sheer  ex- 
haustion, I  awoke,  when  all  in  my  chamber  was  per- 


THE   MOURNFUL   RETURN   TO   RICHMOND.  459 

feet  stillness,  and  the  full  moon  poured  a  flood  of  light 
through  the  windows,  glorious  enough  to  lift  my  soul 
heavenwards ;  but  oh !  the  agony  and  anguish  of  those 
silent  midnight  hours,  when  the  terrible  reality  of  my 
loss  and  the  desolation  of  widowhood  forced  itself 
upon  me,  and  took  possession  of  my  whole  being ! 
My  unconscious  little  one  lay  sweetly  sleeping  by  my 
side,  and  my  kind  friend,  Mrs.  Hoge,  was  near ;  but  I 
strove  not  to  awaken  them,  and  all  alone  I  stemmed 
the  torrent  of  grief  which  seemed  insupportable,  until 
prayer  to  Him,  who  alone  can  comfort,  again  brought 
peace  and  quietness  to  my  heart. 

The  next  morning  I  w^ent  once  more  to  see  the  re- 
mains, Avliich  were  now  in  the  casket,  and  were  cov- 
ered with  spring  flowers.  His  dear  face  was  wreathed 
with  the  lovely  lily  of  the  valle}' — the  emblem  of  hu- 
Tnility — his  own  predominating  grace,  and  it  seemed  to 
me  no  flowers  could  have  been  so  appropriate  for  him. 
Since  then,  I  never  see  a  lily  of  the  valley  without  its 
recalling  the  tenderest  and  most  sacred  associations. 

On  Monday  morning  began  the  sad  journey  to 
Kichmond.  A  special  car  had  been  set  apart  for  us,  in 
which  were  Mr.  Lacy  and  the  staff-officers,  while  Mrs. 
Hoge  and  Mrs.  Chandler  were  my  attendants,  and 
proved  themselves  the  kindest  of  friends  and  comfort- 
ers. Upon  reaching  the  suburbs  of  the  city,  the  train 
stopped,  and  we  were  met  by  Mrs.  Governor  Letcher 
and  other  ladies,  with  several  carriages,  and  driven 
through  the  most  retired  streets  to  the  governor's 
mansion.  Kind  friends  had  also  in  readiness  for  me 
a  mourninii:  outfit.  These  were  indeed  most  thoue^ht- 
ful  considerations  on  their  part,  and  could  not  have 
been  more  gratefully  appreciated. 


460  LIFE   OF  GENERAL  THOMAS   J.  JACKSON. 

The  funeral  cortege  then  proceeded  on  its  Avay  into 
the  city,  and  was  folloAved  for  two  miles  by  throngs 
of  people. 

"  Business  had  been  suspended,  and  the  whole  city 
came  forth  to  meet  the  dead  chieftain.  Amidst  a  sol- 
emn silence,  only  broken  by  the  boom  of  the  minute- 
guns  and  the  wails  of  a  military  dirge,  the  coffin  was 
borne  into  the  governor's  gates,  and  hidden  for  a  time 
from  the  eyes  of  tlie  multitude,  that  were  wet  with 
tears." 

The  casket,  enveloped  in  the  Confederate  flag,  and 
laden  with  spring  flowers,  was  placed  in  the  centre  of 
the  reception-room  in  the  Executive  Mansion.  It  was 
here  that  I  looked  upon  the  face  of  my  husband  for 
the  last  time.  No  change  had  taken  place,  but,  the 
coffin  having  been  sealed,  the  beloved  face  could  only 
be  seen  through  the  glass  plate,  w^hich  was  disappoint- 
ing and  unsatisfactory.  In  honor  of  the  dead,  the 
next  day  a  great  civic  and  military  procession  took 
place.  Tlie  body  was  carried  through  the  main  streets 
(jf  the  city,  the  pall-bearers  being  six  major  and  brig- 
adier generals,  dressed  in  full  uniform.  The  hearse, 
draped  in  mourning,  and  drawn  by  four  white  horses, 
was  followed  by  his  horse,  led  by  a  groom ;  next  by 
his  staff-officers  ;  regiments  of  infantry  and  artillery  ; 
then  a  vast  array  of  officials — the  President,  Cabinet, 
and  all  the  general  officers  in  Kichmond — after  whom 
came  a  multitude  of  dignitaries  and  citizens ;  and  then 
all  returned  to  the  Capitol. 

"  Evei'y  place  of  l)usiness  was  closed,  and  every  ave- 
nue thronged  with  solemn  and  tearful  spectators,  while 
a  silence  more  impressive  than  that  of  the  Sabbath 
brooded   over   the  whole   town.      When    the   hearse 


LAID   IN   STATE  IN   THE   CAPITOL.  461 

reached  the  steps  of  the  Capitol,  the  pall-bearers, 
headed  by  General  Longstreet,  the  great  comrade  of 
the  departed,  bore  the  corpse  into  tiie  lower  house  of 
the  Congress,  wliere  it  was  placed  on  a  kind  of  altar, 
draped  witli  snowy  white,  before  the  speaker  s  chair. 
The  coffin  was  still  enfolded  with  the  white,  blue,  and 
red  of  the  Confederate  flag. 

"  The  Congress  of  the  Confederate  States  had  a  short 
time  before  adopted  a  design  for  their  flag,  and  a  large 
and  elegant  model  had  just  been  completed,  the  first 
ever  made,  which  was  intended  to  be  unfurled  from 
the  roof  of  the  Capitol.  This  flag  the  President  had 
sent,  as  the  gift  of  the  country,  to  be  the  winding- 
sheet  of  General  Jackson." 

During  the  remainder  of  the  day  the  body  lay  in 
state,  and  was  visited  by  fully  twenty  thousand  per- 
sons— the  women  bringing  flowers,  until  not  only  the 
bier  was  covered,  but  the  table  on  which  it  rested  over- 
flowed with  piles  of  these  numerous  tributes  of  affec- 
tion. 

At  the  hour  appointed  for  closing  the  doors  the 
multitude  was  still  streaming  in,  and  an  old  wounded 
soldier  was  seen  pressing  forward  to  take  his  last  look 
at  the  face  of  his  loved  commander.  He  was  told  that 
he  was  too  late — the  casket  was  then  being  closed  for 
the  last  time,  and  the  order  had  been  given  to  clear 
the  hall.  He  still  endeavored  to  advance,  when  one 
of  the  marshals  threatened  to  arrest  him  if  he  did  not 
obey  orders.  The  old  soldier  hereupon  lifted  up  the 
stump  of  his  mutilated  arm,  and  witli  tears  streaming 
from  his  eyes,  exclaimed :  "  By  this  arm  which  I  lost 
for  my  country,  I  demand  the  privilege  of  seeing 
my  general  once  more."     The  kind  heart  of  Governor 


462     LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

Letcher  was  so  touched  by  this  appeal  that  at  his 
intercession  the  old  soldier's  petition  was  granted. 

The  tears  which  were  dropped  over  his  bier  by  strong 
men  and  gentle  women  were  the  most  true  and  hon- 
orable tributes  that  could  be  paid  him,  and  even  httle 
children  were  held  up  by  their  parents  that  they  might 
reverently  behold  his  face  and  stamp  his  name  upon 
their  memories. 

While  all  these  public  demonstrations  were  taking 
place  in  the  Capitol,  how^  different  w^as  the  scene  in 
my  darkened  chamber,  near  by  !  A  few^  loving  friends 
came  to  mingle  their  tears  with  mine,  among  wiiom 
was  my  motherly  friend,  Mrs.  William  N.  Page,  and 
my  eldest  brother.  Major  W.  "W.  Morrison,  arrived 
that  day  from  North  Carolina.  Both  of  these  dear 
ones  accompanied  me  on  the  remainder  of  the  sad  pil- 
grimage to  Lexington.  I  also  received  a  precious  visit 
from  the  Rev.  Dr.  T.  V.  Moore,  wiiom  I  had  never 
met  before,  but  his  winning  gentleness  of  face,  his 
selections  of  the  most  comforting  passages  of  Script- 
ure—such as  the  14th  chapter  of  John,  beginning, 
"  Let  not  your  heart  be  troubled ;  ye  believe  in  God, 
believe  also  in  me"— and  his  fervent,  touching  prayer 
could  not  have  been  more  gratefid  and  soothing — 
proving  balm,  indeed,  to  my  Avounded,  crushed  heart. 
I  never  saw  him  again,  but  he,  too,  has  long  since 
joined  that  "  army  of  the  hving  God," 

"Part  of  wliose  host  have  crossed  the  flood, 
And  part  are  crossing  now." 

Little  Julia  was  an  object  of  great  interest  to  her 
father's  friends  and  admirers,  and  so  numerous  were 
the  requests  to  see  her  that  Hetty,  finding  the  child 


FUNERAL   JOURNEY   TO   LEXINGTOxV.  463 

growing  worried  at  so  much  notice  and  handling, 
sought  a  refuge  beyond  the  reach  of  the  crowd.  She 
ensconced  herself,  with  her  little  charge,  close  to  the 
wall  of  the  house,  underneath  my  window  in  the  back 
yard,  and  there  I  heard  her  crooning,  and  bewailing 
that  "  people  would  give  her  baby  no  rest." 

On  Wednesday  morning  we  again  set  out  on  our 
protracted  funeral  journey,  going  by  the  way  of 
Gordonsville  to  Lynchburg,  and  all  along  the  route, 
at  every  station  at  which  a  stop  was  made,  were  as- 
sembled crowds  of  people,  and  many  were  the  floral 
offerings  handed  in  for  the  bier.  His  child  was  often 
called  for,  and,  on  several  occasions,  was  handed  in 
and  out  of  the  car  windows  to  be  kissed. 

No  stop  was  made  at  Lynchburg,  but  a  vast  throng 
was  there  to  attest  their  interest  and  affection,  and  to 
present  flowers.  Here  we  took  the  canal-boat  which 
was  to  convey  us  to  Lexington,  and  on  Thursday  even- 
ing, with  our  precious  burden,  we  reached  the  little 
village  which  had  been  so  dear  to  him,  and  where  his 
body  was  now  to  repose  until  "  the  last  trump  shall 
sound  "  and  "  this  mortal  shall  have  put  on  immortal- 
ity." 

At  Lexington  our  pastor,  Dr.  White,  and  our 
friends  and  neighbors  met  us  in  tears  and  sorrow. 
The  remains  were  taken  in  charge  by  the  corps  of 
cadets  of  the  Virginia  Military  Institute,  and  carried 
to  the  lecture -room  where  General  Jackson,  while 
professor,  had  taught  for  ten  years,  and  were  guarded 
during  the  night  by  his  former  pupils. 

On  Friday,  May  15th,  the  body  was  again  escorted 
by  the  officers  and  cadets  of  the  Institute,  together 
with   the   citizens,  to   the   Presbyterian   Church,  in 


464  LIFE   OF   GENERAL   THOMAS  J.  JACKSOX. 

which  he  had  so  loved  to  worship,  where  the  services 
were  conducted  in  the  simplest  manner  by  the  pas- 
tor and  other  visiting  ministers.  Conspicuous  among 
these  was  General  Jackson's  valued  friend,  Dr.  Eara- 
sey,  of  Lynchburg,  who  offered  a  prayer  of  wonder- 
ful pathos.  The  hymn  "  How  blest  the  righteous 
when  he  dies !"  was  sung,  after  which  Dr.  White  read 
the  15th  chapter  of  I.  Corinthians  —  that  sublime 
description  of  the  resurrection  of  Christ  and  of  the 
believer ;  and  then  delivered  an  address,  which  was 
as  just  and  appropriate  as  it  was  heartfelt  and  affect- 
ing. The  casket,  followed  by  a  long  procession  of 
people,  from  far  and  near,  was  borne  to  the  cemeter}', 
and,  with  military  honors,  was  at  last  committed  to 
the  grave. 

The  spot  where  he  rests  is  "  beautiful  for  situa- 
tion " — the  gentle  eminence  commanding  the  loveliest 
views  of  peaceful,  picturesque  valleys,  beyond  which, 
like  faithful  sentinels,  rise  the  everlasting  hills. 

My  pastor  took  me  to  his  own  home,  and  never 
could  the  loving-kindness  and  sympathy  of  true 
hearts  be  exceeded  by  that  of  himself,  his  family, 
and  the  good  people  of  Lexington  to  me,  in  this  hour 
of  deepest  affliction  and  bereavement.  When  the 
time  came  for  my  sad  departure  from  my  once  hnppy, 
married  home,  the  noble  people  of  Virginia  extentled 
to  me  every  kindness.  I  was  provided  with  two 
escorts  to  convey  me  to  my  father's  home  in  North 
Carolina ;  one  of  General  Jackson's  staff  being  de- 
tailed by  the  military  authorities  to  attend  me;  and 
the  Virginia  Military  Institute,  wishing  to  do  honor 
to  the  name  of  its  late  ])rofessor,  also  sent  one  of  his 
colleagues  upon  the  same  mission.     I  mention  these 


WHERE   HE   SLEEPS   AT   LAST. 


465 


facts  simply  in  token  of  gratitude,  and  realizing  that 
these  and  all  the  tributes  paid  to  my  hero-husband 
are  but  evidences  of  the  love  and  veneration  in  which 
his  name  and  memory  are  enshrined  in  the  hearts  of 
his  countrymen,  and  of  the  good  and  noble  of  all 
lands. 


\i 


•%!fte? 


■!'AU. 


JACKSON  S  TOMB,    LEXINGTON,   VIRGINIA. 


A  CHAPLAIN'S  RECOLLECTIONS 

OF 

"STOXEWALL"  JACKSOK 

By  Chaplain  J.  "Wm.  Jones. 

(Formerly   Chaplain  of   the  Thirteenth   Virginia   Regiment,  Eweirs   Division, 

Jackson's  Corps,  A.  N.  V.,  now  Assistant  Chaplain-General 

United  Confederate  Veterans.) 

I  REMEMBER  that  solcUers  at  Harper's  Ferry  when 
he  was  sent  to  command  us  asked,  "  Who  is  this 
Colonel  Jackson?^'  but  that  before  he  had  been  in 
command  forty-eight  hours  we  felt  his  strong  liand, 
recognized  the  difference  between  him  and  certain 
militia  officers  who  had  previously  had  charge  of 
the  post,  and  realized  that  we  were  now  under  the 
command  of  a  real  soldier  and  a  rigid  disciplinarian. 

I  saw  him  frequently  at  Harper's  Ferry;  and  as 
"  high  private  in  the  rear  rank  "  of  the  Thirteenth 
Virginia  Regiment  it  was  sometimes  my  duty  to 
pace  the  sentinel's  beat  in  front  of  his  hendquartcrs. 

But  the  first  time  I  ever  had  an  opportunity  of 
seeing  him  closely  and  talking  with  him  was  at 
Darksville,  near  Martinsburg,  in  the  lower  Shenan- 
doah Valley,  on  the  4th  day  of  July,  1861,  when 
the  army  under  General  J.  E.  Johnston  was  drawn 
up  in  line  of  battle  to  meet  an  expected  attack  from 
General  Patterson. 

The  skill  and  tact  with  which  ho  had  reduced  the 
high-s[>irited  rabble,  which  rushed  to  Harper's  Ferry 


Jackson's  appearance.  467 

at  the  first  tap  of  the  drum,  into  the  respectable 
"  Army  of  the  Shenandoah,"'  which  he  turned  over 
to  General  J.  E.  Johnston  the  last  of  May,  and  his 
successful  skirmish  at  Falling  "Waters  (which  we  then 
exaggerated  into  an  important  victory)  had  won  for 
him  some  reputation,  and  I  was  anxious  to  see  him 
again.  I  have  a  vivid  recollection  of  his  appear- 
ance that  day,  and  how  he  impressed  me. 

Dressed  in  a  simple  Virginia  uniform,  apparently 
about  thirty-five  years  old,  six  feet  high,  medium 
size,  gray  eyes  that  seemed  to  look  through  you, 
dark  brown  hair  and  a  countenance  in  which  deep 
benevolence  seemed  to  mingle  with  uncompromising 
sternness,  he  had  about  him  nothing  of  "the  pomp 
and  circumstance  "  of  war,  but  every  element  which 
enters  into  the  skilful  leader  and  the  indomitable, 
energetic  soldier,  who  was  always  ready  for  the 
fight. 

But  his  appearance  a  year  later  is  still  more 
vividly  impressed  upon  me. 

Just  before  the  battle  of  Fredericksburg  his  in- 
timate personal  friend,  the  chivalric  knight,  "  Jeb  " 
Stuart,  presented  him  with  a  beautiful  "  regula- 
tion" Confederate  uniform,  and  when  he  appeared 
in  it  for  the  first  time  on  that  historic  13th  day  of 
December,  1862,  his  men  did  not  recognize  him  at 
first ;  but  soon  the  word  ran  down  the  line  "  It  is 
'old  Jack'  with  new  clothes  on,"  and  they  cheered 
him  as  usual. 

Jackson  was  a  horn  soldier,  and  it  would  be  for  me 
a  pleasant  task  to  sketch  fully  his  military  career, 
which  has  been  the  marvel  of  the  world,  and  shall 
be  the  study  of  military  critics  in  the  years  to  come. 


468  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

THE    RAPIDITY   OF    HIS    MARCHES. 

Jackson  was  noted  for  the  rapidity  of  liis  move- 
ments and  the  long  marches  he  made.  An  able 
Northern  writer  has  said  of  him :  "  He  moved 
infantry  with  the  celerity  of  cavalry,"  and  some  of 
his   marches   have    scarcely  a   parallel   in    history. 

After  his  march  to  Cumberland  and  Eomney  in 
the  winter  of  'Gl-'62,  when  by  a  sudden  change  in 
the  weather  many  of  his  men  were  frost-bitten  and 
some  of  them  perished  from  the  intense  cold,  he 
had  scarcely  rested  his  wear}'  legions  when  he  began 
his  famous  "Valley  campaign"  which  won  for  his 
men  the  sobriquet  of  "  Jackson's  foot  cavalry," 
and  for  himself  world-wide  fame. 

"When  General  Banks,  supposing  that  Jackson 
was  in  full  retreat  up  the  Valley,  started  a  column 
across  the  mountains  to  strike  Johnston's  army 
which  was  then  falling  back  from  Manassas,  Jack- 
son suddenly  turned,  marched  thirty  miles  that 
afternoon  and  eighteen  early  the  next  morning,  and 
struck  a  blow  at  Kernstown  which,  while  he  suf- 
fered the  only  defeat  he  ever  sustained,  recalled  the 
column  that  was  moving  on  Johnston's  flank  and 
disconcerted  McClellan's  whole  plan  of  campaign. 
Pursuit  was  utterly  futile  until  Jackson  took  a 
strong  position  in  Swift  Run  Gap,  whence  he 
emerged  to  make  some  of  the  most  rapid  marches 
on  record,  as  he  defeated  Milroy  at  McDowell, 
flanked  Banks  at  Front  Tioyal,  cut  his  retreating 
column  at  Middletown,  routed  him  at  Winchester, 
and  pushed  liim  pell-mell  across  the  Potomac. 
"  John  I'aul  "  wrote  from    Saratoga  to  the  Neio 


CONFRONTING  THE  INVADER.  469 

York  Tribune  some  years  ago :  "  T  met  General 
Banks  liere,  and  it  grieved  me  that  the  general  does 
not  remember  how  we  traveled  .in  company  once, 
but  the  circumstances  were  not  very  favorable  for 
photography,  perhaps.  We  were  traveling  out  of 
the  Shenandoah  Valley,  and  manoeuvring  very  suc- 
cessfully to  draw  Stonewall  Jackson  along  in  our 
rear.  Xot  a  man  of  us  but  swore  that  the  rebel 
general  should  not  get  to  Massachusetts  before  we 
did — that  the  foul  invader  should  not  set  foot  on 
the  frontier  of  our  native  State  without  finding  us 
steridy  confronting  him  in  the  interior.  And  it 
was  only  necessary  to  gaze  once  into  each  soldier's 
face  to  see  that  the  hated  enemy  could  not  capture 
us  without  stepping  over  the  boundary  lines,  and 
violating  the  territory  of  Maine.  I  wished  several 
times  during  the  recent  races  that  I  had  the  gray 
mare  I  rode  through  that  campaign  here  to  enter 
for  some  of  the  purses.  The  bursts  of  speed  which 
that  faithful  steed  showed  on  several  occasions 
would  pass  belief  if  you  did  not  know  jnst  how 
near  the  detested  foe  got  to  us  at  times.  It  may 
not  be  that  I  won  any  spurs  in  the  Shenandoah 
Valley,  but  I  had  a  \)i\\v  to  start  in  with,  and  I  used 
them  well  coming  out.  I  am  confident  that  none 
of  our  people  won  any  spurs  down  there,  though 
we  played  straight  poker  for  most  everj'thing  else, 
and  I  lost  my  blankets  once  to  a  cavalry  captain, 
who  subsequently  had  no  use  for  them." 

"Whether  Jackson  intended  to  "  violate  the  terri- 
tory of  Maine  "  or  not  he  was  about  to  cross  the 
Potomac  in  pursuit  of  the  fleeing  enemy  when  he 
learned  that  Shields  and   Fremont  (in  response  to 


470      LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

that  famous  dispatch  of  Mr.  Liacohi  to  General 
McDowell)  were  hastening  to  form  a  junction  in 
his  rear  at  Strasburg.  lie  immediately  wheeled, 
marched  sixty  miles  in  a  day  and  a  half  (one  of  his 
brigades  marched  fifty-two  miles  in  one  day),  held 
Shields  back  with  one  hand  and  Fremont  with  the 
other  until  all  of  his  troops,  prisoners  and  trains 
had  passed  the  point  of  danger,  and  then  moved 
quietly  up  the  valley  pursued  by  three  armies,  until 
at  Cross  Keys  and  Port  Republic  he  suftered  him- 
self to  be  "  caught,"  and  proved  beyond  all  contro- 
versy that  he  who  "caught"  Stonewall  Jackson, 
had  indeed  '■'■caugltt  a  Tartar.'" 

One  of  his  biographers  well  puts  it :  "  In  thirty- 
two  days  he  had  marched  nearly  four  hundred 
miles,  skirmishing  almost  <laily';  fought  five  battles; 
defeated  three  armies,  two  of  which  were  com- 
pletely routed ;  ca})ture(l  about  twenty  pieces  of 
artillery,  some  four  thousand  prisoners,  and  im- 
mense (piantities  of  stores  of  all  kinds  ;  and  had 
done  all  this  with  a  loss  of  less  than  one  thou- 
sand men  in  killed,  wounded  and  missing." 

The  marcb  from  the  Valley  to  "seven  days  around 
Richmond;"'  that  to  I'ope's  rear  at  Second  Man- 
assas; the  march  to  the  capture  of  IIar})ers  Ferry, 
and  thence  to  Sharpsbnrg  (Antietam) ;  the  marcli 
from  the  Valley  to  first  Fredericksburg,  ami  that 
to  Hooker's  rear  at  Chancellorsvilk-  were  all  famous 
for  their  rapidity.  Though  always  having  superior 
forces  opposed  to  him.  his  (piiek  movements  and 
able  strateg}^  gave  him  great  advantage  at  the  }»oint 
of  attack. 

His  men  used  to  say:     "  Old  Jack  always  moves 


HIS  SECRECY.  471 

'at  early  dawn'  except  when  he  starts  the  day 
before,"  and  it  was  a  glorious  sight  to  witness  the 
cheerful  alacrity  with  which  the  "  foot  cavalry," 
often  with  bare  and  blistered  feet,  responded  to  every 
call  of  their  iron  chief,  and  marched  with  him  to  an 
immortality  of  fame.  The  simple  command,"  Press 
forward,"  or  the  assurance  of  staff  officers,  "  Gen- 
eral Jackson  has  important  reasons  for  an  extra 
long  march  to-day,"  would  silence  every  murmur 
and  give  seemingly  fresh  strength  to  his  weary  men. 

HIS  SECRECY. 

The  secrecy  with  which  Jackson  formed  and  exe- 
cuted his  plans  was  a  most  important  element  of  his 
success. 

After  the  defeat  of  Fremont  at  Cross  Keys,  and 
Shields  at  Port  Republic,  he  was  largely  reinforced 
by  General  Lee,  Avho  took  pains  to  have  the  fact 
made  known  to  the  enemy,  and  Jackson  was  not 
slow  to  confirm  the  impression  that  with  these 
reinforcements  he  would  sweep  down  the  Valley 
again. 

He  took  into  his  confidence  Colonel  T.  T.  Mun- 
ford,  who  commanded  the  advance  of  his  cavalry, 
and  he  detailed  for  special  duty  Mr.  William  Gilmer, 
of  Albemarle  County,  who  was  widely  known  in 
Virginia  as  a  political  speaker  and  in  the  army  as  a 
gallant  soldier.  A  number  of  Federal  surgeons, 
who  had  come,  under  flag  of  truce,  to  look  after 
Banks'  wounded,  were  quartered  in  a  room  adjoin- 
ing Colonel  Munford's  when  Mr.  Gilmer  ["Billy 
Gilmer"  was  his  popular  sobriquet]  stalked  in,  with 
rattling  sabre  and  jingling  spurs,  and  in  loud  tones 


472      LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

announced,  "Despatches  for  General  Jackson." 
"What  is  the  news?"  he  was  asked,  loud  enough 
to  be  heard  by  the  surgeons  in  the  next  room,  who 
pressed  their  ears  to  the  keyholes  and  cracks,  eager 
to  catch  every  word.  "Great  news!"  was  the 
loud  response.  "Great  news!  The  whole  road 
from  here  to  Staunton  is  full  of  gray  people 
coming  to  reinforce  us  There  are  General  "Whiting 
and  General  Lawton  and  General  Hill,  and  I  don't 
know  who  else,  at  the  head  of  at  least  thirty  thou- 
sand men.  They  will  all  be  up  by  to-morrow  after- 
noon, and  then  won't  we  clean  out  this  Valley 
and  make  the  Yankees  skedaddle  again  across 
the  Potomac!  Hurrah  for  old  Stonewall  and 
his  '  foot  cavalry,'  as  well  as  his  '  crittur  companies,' 
say  I!!" 

It  is  needless  to  add  that  when  the  surgeons  were 
sent  back  to  their  own  lines,  early  the  next  morning, 
they  hastened  to  carry  "  the  news  "  to  headquarters. 
A  hasty  retreat  of  the  Federal  army  followed,  and 
Jackson  so  skilfully  manoeuvred  his  forces,  using 
his  cavalry  as  a  curtain  across  the  Valley,  and  so 
secretly  conducted  his  march  to  liichmond,  that  at 
the  very  time  he  was  thundering  on  McClellan's 
flank  at  Cold  Ilarljor,  Banks  was  fortifying  at 
Strasburg  against  an  expected  attack  from  him. 

I  well  remember  how  profoundly  ignorant  the 
men  and  even  the  higher  oflicers  on  that  march 
were  as  to  our  destination.  At  Charlottesville  we 
expected  to  march  into  Madison  County  to  meet  a 
reported  move  of  Banks  across  the  mountains.  At 
Gordojisville  the  Presbyterian  pastor,  Pev.  Dr. 
Ewing,  told  me  (as  a  profound  secret,  "  which  he  had 


MOVING   AT   DAYLIGHT.  473 

gotten  from  headquarters")  that  we  would  "  move  at 
daylight  the  next  morning  toward  Orange  Court- 
House  and  Culpeper  to  threaten  Washington," 

"We  did  "  move  at  daylight"  (we  generally  did), 
but  in  an  altogether  different  direction,  toward 
Louisa  Court-House.  There  and  at  Frederick's 
Hall  and  at  Hanover  Junction  we  expected  to  move 
on  Fredericksburg  to  meet  McDowell,  and  it  was 
only  when  we  heard  A.  P.  Hill's  guns  at  Mechan- 
icsville  on  the  evening  of  June  26th  that  we  took 
in  the  full  situation,  and  there  rang  along  our 
moving  column  for  miles  shouts  of  anticipated 
victory,  as  the  "  foot  cavalry ''  hurried  forward 
"  to  take  their  place  in  the  picture  near  the  flashing 
of  the  guns." 

The  evening  that  Jackson  spent  at  Frederick's 
Hall  Mrs,  Nat  Harris  sent  him  an  invitation  to 
take  breakfast  with  her  the  next  morning,  and  he 
courteously  thanked  her  and  said  :  "  If  I  can  I  will 
be  happy  to  do  so," 

But  when  the  good  lady  sent  to  summon  him  to 
breakfast,  his  famous  body  servant,  Jim,  met  the 
messenger  with  a  look  of  astonishment  and  said  : 
"  Lor',  you  surely  didn't  spec'  to  find  the  Ginerul 
here  at  dis  hour,  did  you?  You  don't  know  him 
den.  Why  he  left  here  at  one  o'clock  dis  mornin', 
and  I  spec'  he  is  whippin'  dc  Yankees  in  de  Valley 
agin  by  now."  The  truth  was  that  he  had  ridden 
into  Richmond — a  distance  of  fifty  miles — to  have 
an  interview  with  General  Lee,  and  receive  his  final 
instructions  as  to  the  part  he  was  to  take  in  the 
great  battle  that  was  impending,  and  he  did  it  so 
secretly  that  the  army  knew  nothing  of  his  absence, 


474  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

and  Richmond  nothing  of  his  presence  within  her 
walls. 

It  was  on  this  ride  that  a  characteristic  inci- 
dent occurred.  Before  day  Mr.  Matthew  Hope,  a 
respected  citizen  living  in  the  lower  part  of  Louisa 
County,  was  awakened  by  the  clatter  of  horses'  hoofs 
and  a  call  in  front  of  his  house.  Asking,  *"  "Who  is 
there?"  he  received  for  answer:  "Two  Confed- 
erate officers  who  are  on  important  business  and 
want  two  fresh  horses  to  ride.  Have  you  two  good 
horses?"  "Yes!  I  always  keep  good  horses,"  was 
Mr.  Hope's  reply,  "  but  I  can  not  lend  them  to  every 
strasrerler  who  claims  to  be  a  Confederate  officer  on 
important  business.  You  can  not  have  my  horses." 
"  But  our  business  is  very  urgent.  We  must,  and 
will,  have  them,  and  you  had  as  well  saddle  them 
at  once.  We  will  leave  our  horses  in  their  places." 
"  I  do  not  saddle  my  own  horses,"  was  the  indignant 
reply.  "  I  keep  negroes  for  that  purpose,  and  I  shall 
certainly  not  saddle  them  for  you,  especially  as  I  have 
no  assurance  that  you  will  ever  bring  them  back." 

The  officers  soon  got  the  horses  and  galloped  off 
with  them,  and  Mr.  Hope  was  very  much  aston- 
ished when  several  days  afterward  they  were 
returned  in  good  condition,  "with  the  thanks  and 
compliments  of  General  Jackson,"  and  exclaimed, 
"  "Why  did  he  not  tell  me  that  he  was  Stonewall 
Jackson?  If  I  had  known  who  he  was  I  would 
have  cheerfully  given  him  all  of  the  horses  on  the 
place,  and  have  saddled  them  for  him,  too! " 

It  is  related  that  on  this  march  Jackson  met  one 
of  Hood's  Texans  straggling  from  his  command, 
when  the  following  conversation  occurred: 


HIS  OWN  COUNSELOR.  475 

"Where  are  you  going,  sir?  '' 

"I  don't  know." 

"  What  command  do  you  belong  to  ?  " 

"  Don't  know,  sir." 

"  What  State  are  you  from  ?  " 

"  I  can  not  tell." 

"  What  do  you  know,  then,  sir  ?  " 

"  Nothing  at  all  at  this  time,  sir,"  replied  the 
Texan ;  "  old  Stonewall  says  that  we  are  to  be  know- 
nothings  until  after  the  next  fight,  and  you  shall 
not  make  me  violate  his  orders." 

Jackson  smiled  and  passed  on, 

Jackson's  staft'  and  his  higher  officers  were  fre- 
quently in  as  profound  ignorance  of  his  plans  as  the 
private  soldiers.  General  Ewell,  his  second  in  com- 
mand, remarked  to  his  chief  of  stafi*  in  my  hearing 
several  days  before  we  started  from  Port  Republic 
on  the  march  to  Richmond :  "  We  are  being  largely 
reinforced,  and  after  resting  here  for  a  few  days  we 
will  proceed  to  beat  up  Banks'  quarters  again  down 
about  Strasburg  and  Winchester." 

I  was  present  one  day  in  the  summer  of  '62,  when 
General  Ewell  rode  up  to  the  house  of  Dr.  Jas.  L. 
Jones  near  Gordonsville,  Va.,  and  asked:  "  Doctor, 
will  you  please  tell  me  where  we  are  going?  "  "  No, 
general,"  was  the  reply,  "but  I  should  like  to  ask 
you  that  question  if  it  were  proper."  "  It  is  a  per- 
fectly proper  question  to  ask,"  replied  the  grim  old 
soldier,  "but  I  should  like  to  see  you  get  an  answer. 
I  pledge  you  my  word  that  I  do  not  know  whether 
we  are  to  marc^li  north,  south,  east  or  west,  or 
whether  we  are  to  march  at  all.  General  Jackson 
ordered  me  to  have   my  division    ready  to  march   at 


476      LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J,  JACKSON. 

early  dawn ;  they  have  been  lying  in  the  turnpike 
there  ever  since,  and  I  have  had  no  further  orders. 
And  that  is  about  as  much  as  I  ever  know  of  Gen- 
eral Jackson's  movements." 

If  I  had  space  I  might  illustrate  this  point  at 
great  length  but  it  must  suffice  now  to  say  that 
Jackson  kept  his  plans  so  secret  from  his  own  people 
that  the  enemy  could  not  detect  them,  and  that  in 
some  of  his  most  brilliantly  successful  movements, 
such  as  his  march  against  Fremont  and  then  against 
Banks,  his  marcb  to  "  seven  days  around  Richmond," 
to  Pope's  rear  at  Second  Manassas  and  to  Hooker's 
flank  and  rear  at  Chancellorsville,  the  element  of 
secrecy  entered  largely  into  his  success. 

PERSONAL  ATTENTION  TO  DETAILS. 

He  was  unceasingly  active  in  giving  his  personal 
attention  to  the  minutest  details.  He  had  an  inter- 
view with  his  quartermaster,  his  commissary,  his 
ordnance  and  his  medical  officer  every  day,  and  he 
was  at  all  times  thoroughly  familiar  with  the  con- 
dition of  these  departments.  It  is  a  remarkable 
fact  that,  despite  his  rapid  marches,  ho  rarely  ever 
destroyed  any  puljlic  property  or  left  so  much  as  a 
wagon  wheel  to  the  enemy. 

l*Tot  content  with  simply  learning  what  his  maps 
could  teach  him  of  the  country  and  its  topography, 
he  was  accustomed  to  have  frequent  interviews  with 
citizens  and  reconnoitre  personally  the  country 
through  wiiicli  he  expected  to  move,  as  well  as  the 
ground  on  which  he  expected  to  fight.  Being  called 
to  his  <piarters  one  day  to  give  him  information  con- 
cerning a  region  with  which  I   had  been  familiar 


SUDDEN  FAME.  477 

from  my  boyhood,  I  soon  found  that  he  knew  more 
about  the  toi)ography  of  the  section  tlian  I  did,  and 
I  was  constrained  to  say  :  "  Excuse  me,  general,  I 
have  known  this  region  all  my  life  and  thought  that 
I  knew  all  about  it,  but  it  is  evident  that  you  are 
more  familiar  with  it  than  I  am,  and  that  I  can  give 
you  no  information  about  it."  Often  at  night,  when 
the  army  was  wrapped  in  sleep,  he  would  ride  alone 
to  inspect  the  roads  by  which,  on  the  morrow,  he 
expected  to  move  to  strike  the  enemy  in  flank  or 
rear. 

The  world's  history  has  probably  no  other  instance 
of  a  soldier  who  won  so  much  fame  in  so  brief  a 
period,  and  what  might  have  been  if  God  had  spared 
him  it  is  useless  now  to  speculate. 

I  once  heard  General  Lee  say,  with  far  more  feel- 
ing than  he  was  accustomed  to  exhibit:  "If  I  had 
had  Jackson  at  Gettysburg,  I  should  have  won  that 
battle,  and  a  complete  victory  there  would  have 
resulted  in  the  establishment  of  the  independence  of 
the  South."  No  close,  impartial  student  of  that 
great  battle  can  fail  to  indorse  this  opinion  of  the 
Confederate  chief  or  to  recognize  that  the  abseyice 
of  Jackson  was  the  most  potent  factor  in  the  loss  ot 
that  great  battle  and  golden  opportunity  by  the 
Confederates. 

I  have  it  from  an  authentic  source  that  if  Jackson 
had  not  been  killed  at  Chancellorsville,  he  would 
have  been  sent  to  command  the  Army  of  Tennessee. 
How  it  would  have  resulted  I  may  not  now  discuss, 
but  it  is  safe  to  say  that  if  "  Stonewall "  Jackson 
had  been  in  command  of  those  heroic  veterans  there 
would  have  been  less  retreating  and  ynore  fighting.     At 


478  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMA-6  J.  JACKSON. 

all  events,  as  his  old  veterans  in  their  intercourse 
with  each  other  "shoulder  their  crutches  and  tell 
how  battles  were  fought  and  won,"  they  heartily 
indorse  the  sentiment  of  brave  old  "  Father  Hubert," 
of  Hays's  Louisiana  brigade,  who,  in  his  prayer  at 
the  unvailing  of  the  Jackson  monument  in  Xew 
Orleans,  said  as  his  climax :  "  And  Thou  knowest, 
O  Lord,  that  when  Thou  didst  decide  that  the  Con- 
federacy should  not  succeed.  Thou  hadst  first  to 
remove  Thy  servant,  Stonewall  Jackson." 

HIS  CHRISTIAN    CHARACTER, 

The  Christian  character  of  Stonewall  Jackson  is 
as  historic  as  his  great  military  achievements,  and 
has  been  fully  brought  out  in  many  publications,  and 
especially  in  the  simple  and  beautiful  delineation  of 
his  private  character  which  his  devoted  wife  has 
given  in  this  volume. 

But  I  deem  it  emitiently  fitting  that  in  closing 
"A  Chaplain's  Recollections,"  1  should  give  at 
least  a  few  salient  points  of  that  religious  life  which 
shone  out  so  conspicuously  in  the  daily  walk  of  the 
stern  soldier,  exerted  so  potent  an  influence  upon 
all  who  came  in  contact  with  him,  and  which  still 
lives  on  to  bless-the  world. 

During  the  six  years  I  resided  in  Lexington  I 
found  that  the  negroes  held  in  highest  esteem  the 
memory  of  Jackson,  and  always  spoke  with  grate- 
ful affection  of  his  work  among  them.  It  is  a  very 
pleasing  incident  that  the  first  contribution  towards 
the  erection  of  the  beautiful  bronze  statue,  which 
now  decks  the  hero's  grave,  was  from  the  negro 
Baptist   Church   of  Lexington,  whose   pastor   and 


RELIGIOUS  FERVOR.  479 

some  of  whose  prominent  members  belonged  once 
to  Jackson's  negro  Sunday-school. 

A    MAN    OF    PRAYER. 

Jackson  was  equally  scrupulous  in  attending  to 
all  of  his  religious  duties.  "  Lord,  what  wilt  Thou 
have  me  to  do?"  seemed  the  motto  of  his  life. 
Regular  in  meeting  all  of  his  religious  obligations, 
he  walked  straight  along  the  path  of  duty,  doing 
with  his  might  whatever  his  hands  found  to  do.  In 
the  army  his  piety,  despite  all  obstacles,  seemed  to 
brighten  as  the  pure  gold  is  refined  by  the  furnace. 
He  beautifully  illustrated  in  his  life  the  lesson  of  the 
great  Apostle  :  "Not  slothful  in  business,  fervent  in 
spirit,  serving  the  Lord."     lie  was  a  man  of  prayer. 

He  had  in  the  army  his  regular  "family  worship," 
and  frequent  prayer-meetings  at  his  headquarters, 
and  allowed  no  stress  of  circumstances  to  deprive 
him  of  the  privilege  of  secret  prayer. 

HIS    ACTIVITY    FOR    THE    SALVATION    OF    OTHERS. 

From  the  beginning  of  the  war  Jackson  mani- 
fested the  deepest  interest  in,  and  made  active  efforts 
to  promote,  the  religious  welfare  of  his  men.  The 
first  interview  I  had  with  him,  mentioned  in  the 
first  part  of  this  paper,  was  to  secure  a  permit  for  a 
colporteur,  good  brother  C.  F,  Fry,  of  Staunton,  to 
enter  his  lines.  He  replied  to  my  application : 
"  Certainly,  sir,  it  will  give  me  great  pleasure  to 
grant  all  such  permits,  and  when  the  colporteur 
comes  I  should  be  glad  to  see  him.  Perhaps  I  can 
help  him  in  his  important  work." 

Afterwards,  introducing  my  friend,  Jackson  gave 


480      LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

him  a  most  gracious  reception,  sajiug :  "  You  are 
more  tliau  welcome  to  my  camp,  and  I  shall  be 
delighted  to  do  what  I  can  to  promote  your  work. 
I  am  more  anxious  than  I  can  tell  that  my  men 
shall  be  good  soldiers  of  the  cross  as  well  as  good 
soldiers  of  their  countrj'." 

In  further  conversation  he  gave  the  colporteur 
some  very  valuable  hints  about  his  work,  made  him 
a  very  liberal  contribution  to  buy  Bibles,  tracts  and 
books,  and  gave  him  the  names  of  a  number  of 
Christian  officers  who  might  be  relied  on  to  help 
him. 

Our  Chaplains'  Association,  which  exerted  so  happy 
an  influence  in  our  army  work,  was  organized 
largely  through  Jackson's  influence,  and  he  always 
took  the  deepest  interest  in  its  meetings.  One  day 
I  had  started  from  our  camp  near  Hamilton's  cross- 
ing to  walk  down  to  old  Round  Oak  Church  to 
attend  a  meeting,  when,  hearing  the  clatter  of 
horse's  hoofs  behind  me,  I  turned  and  recognized 
and  saluted  General  Jackson  riding  alone  as  he  fre- 
quently did.  I  expected,  of  course,  that  he  would 
ride  on,  but,  asking  me  if  I  was  on  my  way  to  the 
Chaplains'  Association,  he  dismounted,  threw  his 
reins  over  his  arm  and  walked  with  me  about  three 
miles  to  the  point  wliere  our  paths  diverged.  I 
shall  never  forget  that  walk  of  the  humble  chaplain 
with  the  great  soldier,  and  could  give  full  details  of 
our  talk.  The  burden  of  it  was  the  religious  needs 
of  the  army  and  how  best  to  suppl}'  them,  how  to 
fill  the  vacant  regiments  with  chaplnii)s,  how  to 
make  the  chaplains  more  etHcient,  how  to  secure  mis- 
sionaries and  colporteurs,  and  how  to  induce  some 


COURTESY  TO  PREACHERS.  481 

of  the  ablest  preachers  of  the  different  denominations 
to  come  to  the  army  for  short  periods  if  they  could 
not  come  as  permanent  chaplains. 

He  mentioned  by  name  a  number  of  leading 
preachers  and  asked  me  to  write  to  them,  saying : 
"Tell  them  for  me  that  they  must  come,  and  tliat 
they  will  never  find  a  grander  field  of  usefulness 
than  right  here  among  these  noble  men,  these 
patriot  heroes  of  our  Southland." 

And  then  he  began  to  talk  on  his  favorite  theme, 
growth  in  grace,  the  obstacles  to  it  in  the  army  and 
how  to  overcome  them,  and  I  confess  that  I  had,  for 
the  time,  to  lay  aside  my  oflice  of  "  teacher  in 
Israel,"  and  be  content  to  sit  at  the  feet  of  the  stern 
warrior,  and  learn  of  him  lessons  in  the  divine  life. 

Upon  another  occasion  when  Rev.  B.  T.  Lacy 
(chaplain  at  Jackson's  headquarters  and  missionary 
chaplain  to  the  corps),  Rev.  W.  C.  Power,  of  South 
Carolina,  and  myself  were  in  Mr.  Lacy's  tent  at 
work,  as  a  committee  of  the  Chaplains'  Association, 
on  an  address  to  the  churches  of  the  South,  General 
Jackson  came  to  the  tent  door,  and,  declining  our 
earnest  invitation  to  come  in,  said  that  he  would  ex- 
pect us  to  dine  with  him  that  day.  The  average  Con- 
federate soldier  always  accepted  an  invitation  to  din- 
ner, and  this  invitation  to  dine  with  Stonewall 
Jackson  was  promptly  and  eagerly  accepted. 

I  do  not  remember  much  about  the  dinner — could 
not  give  the  bill  of  fare,  though  I  remember  that  it 
was  very  simple  and  would  have  been  sneered  at  by 
any  Federal  officer  and  many  of  our  Confederate 
officers  of  lower  rank — but  the  table  talk,  and  the 
hour  or  two  after  dinner  when  we  persuaded  the 
31 


482      LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

general  to  go  into  the  tent  and  hear  our  statement 
of  the  religious  condition  of  the  army  and  appeal 
to  the  churches  for  more  preachers  in  the  camps, 
are  so  indelibly  impressed  npon  my  memory  that  I 
could  quote  verbatim  much  of  the  simple,  earnest, 
evangelical  talk  of  the  great  leader  hut  devout 
Christian. 

I  went  upon  several  occasions  to  preaching  at 
Jackson's  headquarters,  and  the  scene  is  vividly 
engraved  on  my  memory  and  heart. 

That  devout  listener,  dressed  in  simple  gra^^  orna- 
mented only  with  three  stars,  which  any  Confederate 
colonel  ^vas  entitled  to  wear,  is  our  great  commander, 
Robert  Edward  Lee.  That  dashing-looking  cavalr}^- 
man,  with  "  fighting  jacket,"  plumed  hat,  jingHng 
spurs  and  gay  decorations,  but  solemn,  devout  aspect 
during  the  services,  is  "  Jeb "  Stuart,  "the  flower 
of  cavaliers" — and  all  through  the  vast  crowd  the 
"wreaths"  and  "stars"  of  rank  mingle  with  the 
"bars"  of  subordinate  officers  and  the  rough  garb 
of  the  private  soldier.  But  perhaps  the  most 
supremely  happy  man  of  the  gathered  thousands  is 
General  Jackson  as  he  plays  usher  in  seating  tlie 
men,  or  drinks  in  with  kindling  eye  the  simple 
truths  of  the  old  Gospel  he  loved  so  well. 

Several  days  before  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville 
I  called  at  lieadquarters  to  see  Mr.  Lacy,  and  met 
General  Jackson  on  his  way  to  the  prayor-nuH'ting. 
He  told  me  that  Mr.  Lacy  was  absent,  and  conrto- 
ously  invited  me  to  lead  the  meeting.  I  promptly 
declined  to  act  as  leader,  for  T  knew  that  he  Avas 
accustomed  to  lead  in  Mr.  Lacy's  absence,  and  it 
was,  I  trust,  something  more  than  idle  curiosity  that 


GLORIOUS  DEATH.  483 

made  me  desire  to  attend  a  prayer-meeting  led  by 
Stonewall  Jackson.  I  shall  never  forget  that  meet- 
ing-the  reading  of  the  Scriptures,  the  sweet  songs 
of  praise,  the  simple,  earnest,  practical  talk,  and  the 
tender,  appropriate,  fervent  prayer  of  the  great  sol- 
dier will  linger  in  my  memory  through  life,  and  will 
be  recalled,  I  doubt  not,  when  I  meet  him  on  the 
brighter  shore. 

HIS    GLORIOUS    DEATH. 

Stonewall  Jackson  died  as  he  lived— an  humble 
trusting  Christian.  N^ay!  he  did  not  die.  The 
weary,  worn  marcher  simply  "crossed  over  the 
river  and  rested  under  the  shade  of  the  trees."  The 
battle-scarred  warrior  fought  his  last  battle,  won  hie 
last  victory,  and  went  to  wear  his  bright  "  crown  of 
rejoicing,"  his  fadeless  laurels  of  honor,  and  to 
receive  from  earth  and  from  Heaven  the  plaudit: 

"  Servant  of  God,  well  done! 
Rest  from  Thy  loved  employ; 
The  battle  fought,  the  victory  won; 
Enter  thy  Master's  joy." 

Veterans  of  the  old   corps,  Confederate  soldiers 
generally,  admirers  of  true  greatness  everywhere 
owe  Mrs.  Jackson  a  lasting  debt  of  gratitude  for 
giving  them  in  this  volume  so  vivid  a  picture  of  the 
inner  life  of  her  noble  husband,  showing  so  truly 

"  The  bravest  are  the  tenderest, 
The  loving  are  the  daring." 

God  grant  that,  as  our  Confederate  veterans  and 


484 


LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 


their  children  read  this  touching  record  of  our 
glorious  and  glorified  leader,  they  may  hear  his 
voice  calling  in  trumpet  tones,  above  the  din  of 
this  busy,  noisy  age  in  which  we  live,  and  saying  in 
tender  tones  that  shall  reach  every  heart :     "  Be  ye 

FOLLOWERS  OF  ME,  EVEN  AS  I  ALSO  AM  OF  ChRIST  !  !  " 


Miller's  School,  Ckozet,  Va.,  October  15,  1895. 


REMimSCENCES 


OB" 


GEN.  T.  J.  ("STONEWALL")  JACKSON. 

By  Rev.  James  E.  Graham,  D,  D.,  of  Winchester,  Va. 

.  .  .  No  man  has  lived  in  this  generation,  if  in 
any  that  has  preceded  it,  whose  personality  has 
awakened  such  profound  and  widespread  interest, 
or  into  the  minutest  incidents  of  whose  history 
such  careful  and  persistent  search  has  been  made, 
as  Stonewall  Jackson.  Without  derogating  in  the 
least  from  what  is  due  to  the  other  great  actors  in 
the  recent  conflict  between  the  States,  it  is  but 
simple  truth  to  say  that,  in  some  important  aspects, 
he  was,  facile  jirincej^s,  the  most  conspicuous  figure 
it  produced.  No  other  man  approached  him  in  the 
enthusiasm  which  his  career  excited,  or  in  the 
admiration  which  his  achievements  called  forth. 
In  our  own  countr}'.  South  and  North  alike,  and  in 
all  countries  which  the  fame  of  the  great  struggle 
reached,  he  was  the  hero  around  whom  the  romance 
of  the  war  principally  gathered  and  in  whom  the 
interest  of  the  great  masses  centred.  Nor  did 
that  interest  die  with  the  ending  of  the  struggle. 
Twenty  years  after  his  death,  as  I  can  testify  from 
personal  knowledge,  both  in  Great  Britain  and  on 
the  continent,  when  our  war  was  the  subject  of  con- 
versation with   the  people  whom  I  met,  his  name 


486  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

was  the  first  to  be  spoken  and  his  career  the  one 
with  which  they  were  the  most  familiar.  The  noble 
character,  and  splendid  genius,  and  matchless  gen- 
eralship of  his  great  commander,  who  surrendered 
at  Appomattox,  without  the  suspicion  of  a  stain 
upon  his  escutcheon,  were  dul}"  recognized  and 
praised,  but  somehow  the  unique  character  and 
brilliant  achievements  of  Jackson  had  taken  the 
most  prominent  hold  upon  the  imagination  and  the 
memory  of  perhaps  all  with  whom  I  conversed  .  .  . 
In  speaking  of  him  I  must  explain  that  I  am  dis- 
tinctly limited  to  the  presentation  of  such  facts  as 
transpired  during  the  short  and  not  very  eventful 
period  when  the  general,  with  his  Avife,  was  an 
inmate  of  my  house  in  Winchester,  and  virtually  a 
member  of  my  famil3\  .  .  .  The  fact  is,  I  never 
knew  there  Avas  such  a  man  in  existence  till  about 
the  time  hostilities  commenced.  One  evening,  late 
in  April,  I  dropped  into  Mr.  Logan's  store  and 
found  him  unusually  excited,  which  he  explained 
by  saying  that  he  had  just  had  a  call  from  Rev.  Dr. 
George  Junkin,  late  president  of  Washington  Col- 
lege, Lexington,  Va.  The  old  doctor  had  been 
the  able  and  distinguished  president  of  that  college 
for  about  a  dozen  years,  and  was  the  father  of 
General  Jackson's  first  wife.  In  the  stormy  dis- 
cussion which  preceded  the  war,  he,  with  most  of 
the  prominent  men  of  Lexington,  including  Gen- 
eral Jackson  himself',  warmly  ('S[)(>used  the  cause  of 
the  Union  ;  and  when  the  rupture  came,  while 
almost,  if  not  all,  of  the  others  cast  in  their  fortunes 
with  the  Confederacy,  he  ndhered  to  his  position  as 
a  loyal  citizen,  resigned  liis  presidency,  and  returned 


BAPTISM    OF    FIRE.  487 

to  the  North,  driving  down  the  Valley  in  his  car- 
riage. While  resting  his  horses  here  he  called  on 
Mr.  Logan,  and  in  answer  to  inquiries  as  to  luhy 
and  where  he  was  traveling,  he  said  with  character- 
istic vehemence,  "  I  am  escaping  from  a  set  of 
lunatics.  Lexington  is  one  vast  mad-house.  There 
is  not  a  sane  man  there,  nor  woman  either.  They 
are  hedlamites,  every  one.  I  am  compelled  to  leave 
the  best  friends  a  man  ever  had.  I  leave  most  of  my 
children,  too,  and  my  son-in-law.  Major  Jackson, 
who  is  the  best  and  bravest  man  I  ever  knew,  but 
he  is  as  craz}-  as  the  rest.  Yet  if  there  is  to  be  a 
war,  as  I  fear,  I  tell  you  now,  that  Major  Jackson, 
if  his  life  be  spared,  will  be  among  its  most  distin- 
guished heroes."  This  prediction  from  one  who 
knew  him  so  well,  3'et  dift'ered  from  him  so  widely, 
made  a  deep  impression  upon  me,  though  I  had  not 
heard  even  the  major's  name  before. 

We  soon  heard  of  Colonel  Jackson  at  Harper's 
Ferry;  and  afterwards  as  a  prominent  officer  under 
General  Johnston  with  the  troops  near  Winchester; 
and  a  little  later  at  Manassas  where  the  old  historic 
First  Brigade  received  its  "  baptism  of  fire,''  and  its 
distinctive  name — a  name  that  will  go  doAvn  in 
history  inseparal)ly  linked  with  that  of  its  great 
commander,  and  will  be  honored  wherever  homagre 
is  paid  to  intrepid  courage,  or  chivalrous  devotion 
to  duty  is  admired.  Early  in  November  he  re- 
turned to  Winchester  as  "General  Commanding 
the  Valley  District." 

The  next  Sabl>ath  I  saw  him  in  company  with  his 
adjutant,  Colonel  J.  T.  L.  Preston,  at  my  church ;  and 
from  that  time,  when  near  enough,  he  was  a  regular 


488  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

attendant  upon  our  services.  I  soon  made  his 
acquaintance,  though  my  personal  knowledge  of  him 
was  slight  till  he  came  to  live  with  us.  This  came 
about  as  follows  :  Mrs.  Jackson  joined  him  in  Win- 
chester just  before  Christmas,  1861,  and  apartments 
were  provided  for  her  at  headquarters.  On  the 
morning  of  January  1st,  1862,  after  the  troops  had 
started  on  the  Bath  campaign,  he  came  to  our  house 
and  asked,  as  a  great  favor,  to  receive  Mrs.  Jackson 
and  take  care  of  her  for  a  few  days  while  he  would 
be  absent  from  town — urging  the  facts  that  she  was 
a  stranger  here,  the  daughter  of  a  minister,  and  the 
special  kindness  it  would  be  to  her  and  to  him.  A 
request  placed  on  such  grounds  and  urged  so  per- 
suasively was  not  to  be  denied.  Within  an  hour  he 
had  brought  her  to  us,  taken  his  leave,  and  with  his 
staff  was  following  his  army  to  Bath.  On  his  return 
from  this  memorable  expedition  he  declared  that  it 
would  be  cruel  to  turn  Mrs.  Jackson  out  of  her 
home,  and  if  Mrs.  Graham  would  allow  her  to 
remain  he  would  stay  and  help  to  take  care  of  her. 
And  so  he  was  installed  as  a  member  of  our  house- 
hold. ...  It  is  an  old  proverb  that  "you  must 
live  with  a  man  to  know  him  thoroughl}-."  I  lived 
with  him.  For  about  two  months  he  slept  every 
night  under  my  roof  and  sat  every  day  at  my  table, 
and  bowed  with  us  every  morning  and  evening  at 
our  family  altar.  He  called  my  house  his  home.  lie 
was  with  us  in  all  the  unreserved  intimacy  which 
characterizes  the  family  relation,  and  under  circum- 
stances which  could  not  fail  to  brinii;  into  clear  lio;ht 
Ills  real  character  as  a  man  and  a  Christian.  And 
it  is  due  to  him  to  declare  that  in  my  intercourse  with 


niGNIFIED  AND  REFINED.  489 

him  during  all  that  period  I  can  not  recall  a  .single 
act  or  word  that  I  could  have  wished  were  difter- 
ent,  or  which  the  most  censorious  could  construe  to 
his  disadvantage.  His  conversation  and  his  bearing 
were  invariably  those  of  a  dignified  and  refined  gen- 
tleman, thoroughly  familiar  with  all  the  require- 
ments of  social  life;  and,  while  carefully  observing 
amenities  and  courtesies  which  true  politeness 
exacts,  he  largely  contributed,  by  his  uniform  cheer- 
fulness and  thoughtful  consideration,  to  the  comfort 
and  happiness  of  all  about  him.  During  the  time 
he  Avas  with  us  nothing  occurred  to  disturb,  but 
everything  to  increase,  even  to  the  last,  his  cordial 
relations  with  every  member  of  the  household — 
parents,  children  and  servants. 

While  there  was  never  anything  of  levity  or 
frivolity  in  his  spirit  or  demeanor,  neither  was  there 
of  moroseness  or  austerity.  As  might  be  expected 
of  one  who  realized,  as  he  did,  the  nature  and  mag- 
nitude of  that  struggle  in  which  all  his  energies 
were  embarked,  his  prevailing  disposition  was  grave 
and  serious.  And  sometimes,  it  is  fair  to  say,  the 
natural  gravity  of  his  temperament  was  tinged  with 
something  of  that  sternness  of  expression  which 
deep  convictions  will  always  impart.  And  this 
sternness  may  sometimes  have  been  mistaken,  by 
those  who  knew  him  only  in  his  ofiicial  character, 
for  severity  of  personal  disposition.  But  in  the 
domestic  circle  no  such  mistake  could  be  made. 
Those  nearest  to  him  could  not  fail  to  see  under- 
neath his  grave  earnestness  che  brighter  and  more 
attractive  elements  of  his  nature,  wbicli  even  his 
habitual  gravity    could    not    always    restrain    from 


49U  LIFE  OP  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

breaking  forth — sometimes,  which  the  world  would 
hardly  suspect,  in  a  keen  sense  of  humor;  but 
oftener  in  expressions  of  warm  affection  and  a 
strong  sensibility  to  the  value  of  friendship  and  the 
charms  of  home. 

As  an  inmate  of  our  family  no  man  could  have 
been  more  considerate  or  more  congenial.  Always 
solicitous  to  avoid  giving  trouble,  his  constant  aim 
was  to  accommodate  himself,  so  far  as  official  duties 
would  allow,  to  existing  domestic  arrangements.  It 
was  not  without  some  misgivings  that  we  acceded 
to  his  proposal  to  come  to  us.  Such  reports  were 
rife  of  his  j^^cidiarities  as  to  make  it  a  step  of  ques- 
tionable expediency.  After  he  had  been  with  us  a 
few  days,  and  remembering  these  reports,  I  won- 
dered that  I  had  failed  to  observe  anything  peculiar, 
and  I  began  to  watch  more  closely  for  the  oddities 
that  were  alleged  to  him.  But,  somehow,  my  powers 
of  discernment  were  never  sufficient  to  detect  what 
was  so  patent  to  others.  I  never  did  discover  the 
remarkable  peculiarities  of  which  so  much  has  been 
said  and  written.  The  fact  is,  they  did  not  exist  to 
any  observable  extent.  Whatever  peculiarities  he 
had  were  just  those  individual  characteristics  which 
we  all  in  a  greater  or  less  degree  possess.  .  .  . 
He  was  just  a  simple  gentleman,  such  as  we  meet  in 
large  numbers  every  day  upon  our  streets,  and 
whom  we  salute  without  once  thinking  whether 
there  is  an^'thing  peculiar  about  them  or  not. 

I  have  seen  him  often  in  social  gatherings,  and 
always  without  any  appearance  of  embarrassment 
beyond  what  any  modest  and  unobtrusive  man 
might  sometimes  exhibit  in  the  company  of  those  to 


STRICTLY    METHODICAL.  491 

whom  he  was  more  or  less  a  stranger.  Instead  of 
that  reticence  or  bluntness  with  which  he  is  charged, 
he  had  a  pleasant  word  for  every  acquaintance, 
spoken  in  a  tone  of  voice  that  was  very  gentle  and 
with  an  expression  of  countenance  peculiarly  win- 
ning. He  met  at  my  table  and  fireside  a  great 
many  people  of  different  conditions  and  rank  and  of 
both  sexes,  and  to  all  of  them  he  was  uniformly 
cordial,  even  exerting  himself  for  their  entertain- 
ment, if  circumstances  seemed  to  require  it.  Some- 
times a  young  friend  from  the  army,  who  had  called 
and  was  detained  for  a  meal,  would  be  visibly  abashed 
at  the  presence  of  his  general,  which  the  general 
was  quick  to  perceive,  and  by  a  kind  inquiry  or 
pleasant  word  addressed  to  him  would  soon  set  the 
young  man  at  his  ease.  He  was  invariably  courteous 
and  afi'able  to  all,  and  to  ladies  especially  he  was 
scrupulously  polite. 

Among  the  personal  traits  that  distinguished  the 
general,  it  will  surprise  no  one  to  learn  that  he  was 
strictly  methodical  in  his  manner  of  life,  that  he  was 
regular  in  all  his  habits  and  punctual  in  all  his 
engagements.  When  in  my  house,  he  invariably 
rose  at  a  certain  hour,  which  was  an  early  one,  and 
went  at  once  to  headquarters  where  he  received  his 
mail  and  issued  the  general  orders  for  the  day.  A 
few  minutes  before  eight  o'clock  he  returned,  and 
always  escorted  his  wife  to  breakfast  and  indeed  to 
every  meal.  She  knew  just  when  to  expect  him, 
for  the  clock  was  not  more  regular  in  its  movements 
than  he  was,  and  she  would  wait  in  her  room  till  he 
arrived.  And  in  not  a  single  instance,  I  believe, 
was  the  meal  delayed  so  much  as  one  minute  by  his 


492  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

failure  to  appear  on  time — save  in  a  few  cases  when 
he  had  given  notice  that  he  might  be  detained. 

It  was  to  me  a  fact  of  no  little  interest  that 
apparently  he  brought  with  him  to  the  table  none 
of  the  cares  or  concerns  of  his  office,  and,  so  far  as 
I  ever  knew,  he  brought  none  of  them  to  the  house. 
The  conversation,  which  he  often  started  but  never 
absorbed,  took  a  wide  range  and  was  habitually 
cheerful.  "When  in  the  mood  for  it,  he  was  a  good 
talker,  sensible  and  to  the  point.  Generally  he 
preferred  to  hear  the  opinions  of  others  rather  than 
to  express  his  own.  He  was  a  good  listener.  It 
soon  came  to  be  understood,  however,  that  the 
affiiirs  of  his  army  and  indeed  all  military  matters, 
so  far  at  least  as  they  pertained  to  the  movements 
of  his  troops  and  the  plans  and  progress  of  cam- 
paigns, were  prohibited  topics. 

Facts  accomplished  and  news  of  tlie  enemy  he 
would  freely  tell  and  discuss,  but  nothing  that  bore 
even  remotely  upon  the  condition  and  movements 
of  his  own  or  other  Confederate  troops  ever  passed 
his  lips.  At  first  this  was  not  fully  understood; 
and  as  he  received  his  mail  very  early,  and  of  course 
was  in  possession  of  the  news  when  he  appeared  at 
breakfast,  he  was  often  greeted  with  the  question, 
"  Well,  general,  what  news  this  morning?  "  Know- 
ing that  it  was  army  news  mainly  that  was  desired, 
his  answers  would  be  evasive  and  unsatisfactory. 
One  morning  a  lady,  who  was  present,  undertook  to 
secure  more  direct  and  j)Ositive  infornuition,  wlien 
turning  to  her  Avith  a  quizzical  look  and  a  smile  in 
wliich  humor  and  seriousness  were  stnmgely 
i)lendcd,  and  in  tones  which  precluded  the  possibility; 


His  hook-c  ISO  and  books,  his  arni'li  lir.  i 
his  ML'\ii'aii  blanket  over  it  .tnd 
military  sash  as  drapery. 


>r  his  tiii-iiituv<-.  his  clock,  l-.ililc.  hyiiiii  li,...k.  licM  ylas 
l^uUl  .--purs,  notebook,  camp  pillow,  cpaiiltts, 
(.rlove.s.  cap,  sword  and  pistols. 


The  scarfs  were  presented  b.v  Confederate  ladies  dvirintr  the  war.  the 

one  on  the  chair  einbroich-red  b.v  a  lad.v  "ver  seventy,  anil 

representing?  the  products  of  the  Coiifeileracy. 


SO.MK    KKFJCW    OF    (iENKU.M-    J.VCKSON    IN    MISS.   .I.\CKSt)N  S    llOMK. 


SIMPLY  INVINCIBLE.  493 

of  offence  being  taken,  he  said :  "  Mrs.  ,  I'll 

have  to  say  to  you  as  the  school  boys  sometimes  say, 
"  Ask  me  no  questions,  and  I'll  tell  you  no  lies." 
From  that  hour  a  thorough  understanding  was 
established  as  to  what  topics  were  to  be  avoided. 

It  was  a  fixed  rule  with  him  that  no  official  busi- 
ness should,  under  any  circumstances,  be  transacted 
at  my  house.  If  a  courier  came  with  a  despatch  or 
an  orderly  with  a  message,  as  was  sometimes  done, 
he  was  directed  to  go  with  it  at  once  to  head- 
quarters, where  he  would  receive  it.  If  an 
officer  or  any  one  came  on  military  business,  though 
it  might  have  been  transacted  in  one  minute  at  the 
door,  he  invariably,  if  urgency  was  pleaded,  went 
with  him  to  his  office.  When  I  remonstrated  once 
against  this  as  unnecessary  and  told  him  my  study 
was  at  his  service,  he  promptly  answered  :  "l^o,  sir, 
this  is  a  private  house,  and  my  men  must  learn  that 
no  official  intrusion  can  be  allowed." 

When  he  had  leisure  to  do  so,  which  was  not 
often,  he  would  remain  a  little  while  for  an  after- 
dinner  talk.  On  such  occasions  his  views  of  men 
and  things  were  freely  expressed,  and  man}'  of  them 
were  both  entertaining  and  striking.  Of  the  Fed- 
eral leaders,  many  of  whom  he  knew  personally,  he 
had  much  to  say,  and  what  he  said  was,  for  the 
most  part,  conceived  in  a  friendly  spirit.  He  placed 
a  high  estimate  upon  the  capacity  of  McClellan  as 
an  organizer  and  strategist,  and  once  he  said  of 
him  :  "  If  he  can  handle  his  troops  in  the  field  with 
the  same  ability  with  which  he  organizes  them  in 
the  camp,  he  will  be  simply  invincible."  Major 
Doubleday,  "  the  hero  of  Fort  Sumter,"  as  he  was 


494  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

called,  was  with  Jacksou  at  West  Point.  He  was" 
pleased  when  he  heard  of  his  promotion  as  brigadier, 
and  said :  "  Doubleday  always  was  a  good  fellow, 
though  among  the  cadets  he  went  by  the  name  of 
'  forty-eight  hours.' " 

His  views  of  the  true  method  of  conducting  the 
war  were  characteristic.  "  War,"'  he  said,  "  means 
fighting.  The  business  of  a  soldier  is  to  fight. 
Armies  are  not  called  to  dig  trenches,  to  throw  up 
breastworks  and  lie  in  camps,  but  to  find  the  enemy 
and  strike  him,  to  invade  his  country  and  do  him 
all  possible  damage  in  the  shortest  possible  time. 
But  this  would  involve  great  destruction  both  of 
life  and  property.  Yes,  while  it  lasted  ;  but  such  a 
war  would  of  necessity  be  of  brief  continuance,  and  so 
would  be  an  economy  of  life  and  property  in  the  end. 
To  move  swiftly,  strike  vigorously  and  secure  all  the 
fruits  of  victory,  was  the  secret  of  successful  war." 

I  sometimes  tried  to  sound  him  as  to  the  con- 
duct of  affairs  after  the  First  Manassas.  He  never 
would  utter  an  adverse  criticism  of  any  one  of  our 
generals.  But  notwithstanding  my  failure  to  draw 
from  him  an  opinion  in  the  case,  the  conviction 
which  even  that  failure  left  upon  me  was  that  if 
Jackson  liad  been  in  command  there  the  Stonewall 
brigade  would  have  bivouacked  in  the  grounds  of 
the  capitol  before  many  suns  had  risen. 

His  firmness  of  princi[)le  is  well  known,  but  only 
those  nearest  to  him  knew  how  closely  his  firmness 
was  allied  to  tenderness,  A  stern  sense  of  duty 
obliged  him  sometimes  to  do  things  that  others  con- 
sidered harsh  and  even  cruel,  but  there  were  few 
who  knew  what  intense  pain  such  duty  cost  him. 


TENDERED  HIS  RESIGNATION.  495 

Another  characteristic  for  which  the  general  was 
eminently  distinguished  was  his  marvelous  self-con- 
trol. Whether  this  was  natural  to  him  or  the  result 
of  careful  discipline,  does  not  matter.  He  possessed 
it  in  a  degree  I  have  never  seen  equaled  in  any 
other  man.  Almost  every  man  who  knew  him  at 
all  can  give  some  instance  of  his  perfect  mastery  of 
himself  under  circumstances  of  greatest  trial.  Let 
me  relate  an  instance  that  came  largely  under  my 
own  observation.  The  incident  that  gave  occasion 
for  it  has  passed  into  history  and  is  known  to  all 
the  world.  I  refer  to  the  tender  of  his  resignation 
because  of  officious  interference  with  his  work. 

At  the  close  of  his  Bath  camj)aign,  January,  1862, 
he  left  General  Loring  with  his  troops  at  Eomuey. 
With  this  arrangement  Loring  and  many  of  his 
officers  were  greatly  dissatisfied,  and,  obtaining  fur- 
loughs, went  to  Richmond  and  besieged  the  Depart- 
ment of  War  with  their  complaints.  Soon  an  order 
from  that  department  came  to  recall  General  Loring. 
In  issuing  this  order  General  Johnston,  the  com- 
mander-in-chief, was  not  consulted,  and  for  its  exe- 
cution no  discretion  was  allowed  to  Jackson.  On 
the  morning  of  the  31st,  going  early  to  his  office 
as  usual,  he  found  this  order,  which  he  immediately 
obeyed,  and  instantly  wrote  his  request  to  be  ordered 
for  duty  to  Lexington,  and  if  that  were  not  granted, 
then  his  resignation  from  the  army  be  acco})te(l. 
This  done,  he  returned  to  my  house  perhaps  an  hour 
earlier  than  usual,  but  appeared  at  breakfast  at  the 
appointed  time,  with  his  accustomed  serenity  of 
manner.  In  a  little  while  he  informed  us,  in  a 
perfectly   calm   tone,    that   he   and    Mrs.   Jackson 


496  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

expected  soon  to  return  to  their  home  in  Lexington. 
Ahnost  immediately  he  mentioned,  as  an  ordinary 
thing,  the  fact  that  Loring's  command  had  been 
recalled  and  would  soon  be  in  Winchester. 

To  my  hesitating  inquiry  if  this  was  made  neces- 
sary by  the  advance  of  a  superior  Federal  force  he 
replied,  "Oh,  no;  there  are  no  Federal  troops  in  my 
district."  I  was  puzzled.  But  soon  the  whole  case 
was  fully  stated  and  freely  discussed.  And  while 
my  indignation  fairly  boiled  when  the  true  nature 
and  effect  of  the  affront  to  him  were  apprehended,  his 
own  spirit  did  not  appear  to  be  ruffled  in  the  least. 
His  tones  were  just  as  even,  his  words  as  calm,  his 
language  as  free  from  asperity,  and  his  whole 
manner  as  thoroughly  composed  as  I  had  ever 
known  them.  "While  perfectly  sensible  of  the 
unprofessional  and  unmilitary  character  of  that 
order,  and  keenly  alive  to  the  outrage  and  insult 
implied  in  it  to  himself  personally,  he  would  allow 
no  censure  to  be  visited  upon  those  who  had  issued 
the  order.  My  own  hasty  and  not  very  compliment- 
ary utterances  he  checked,  saying:  "The  depart- 
ment has  indeed  made  a  serious  mistake,  l)ut,  no 
doubt,  they  made  it  throngli  inadvertence  and  wnth 
the  best  intentions.  They  have  to  consider  the 
interests  of  the  whole  Confederacy,  and  no  man 
should  be  allowed  to  stand  in  the  way  of  its  safet}'. 
If  they  have  not  confidence  in  my  ability  to  admin- 
ister wisely  the  affairs  of  this  district,  it  is  their 
privilege  and  duty  to  try  and  repair  the  damage  they 
believe  I  am  doing."  And  this  meek,  unselfish 
spirit  prevailed  with  him  to  the  last. 

Tliere  is  no  day  in  all  my  acquaintance  with  him 


EFFECT  OF  RESIGNATION.  497 

tlie  incidents  of  which,  in  all  their  details,  are  so 
distinctly  impressed  upon  my  memory  as  that  last 
day  in  January,  1862.  He  seemed  to  have  unbur- 
dened himself  of  the  cares  of  office,  and  spent  nearly 
the  whole  day  at  my  house,  and  no  small  part  of 
it  in  my  company.  Laying  aside  his  accustomed 
reticence,  he  spoke  freely  of  almost  everything  con- 
nected with  the  war,  the  country  and  the  church. 
Events  of  interest  in  his  own  life  were  related,  and 
scenes  he  had  witnessed  and  places  he  had  visited 
during  his  tour  in  Europe  were  described.  While 
the  household  was  in  sore  distress,  and  the  troops  in 
a  state  of  exasperation,  and  the  whole  town  in  a 
ferment,  he  was  himself  perfectly  self-collected  and 
serene.  !N^ot  only  did  he  seem  to  be  the  calmest 
man  in  town  and  the  freest  from  excitement,  but, 
so  far  as  I  knew,  he  was  the  only  calm  and  unex- 
cited  man  among  us.  There  was  no  severity  of 
temper,  no  acrimony  of  language,  no  suspicion  of 
anger.  The  tender  of  his  resignation  was  not  made 
in  the  heat  of  passionate  resentment  to  satisfy  a 
personal  pique  for  an  affront  received,  but  in  the 
loftiest  spirit  of  self-sacrifice  and  as  his  most  em- 
phatic protest  against  a  system  of  interference  with 
the  responsibilities  of  commanders  in  the  field.  And 
as  I  recall,  after  a  third  of  a  century  almost,  the 
spirit  and  bearing  of  Jackson  on  that  memorable 
day,  I  am  more  and  more  inclined  to  say  that  the 
real  grandeur  of  the  man  never  appeared  to  greater 
advantage  than  it  did  in  that  most  trying  ordeal. 

Not  at  Manassas,  where  he  and  his  brigade,  stand- 
ing like   a   stone  loall,  withstood  the  onset  of  the 
triumphant  foe,  and  wrested  victory  from  defeat ; 
32 


498  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

not  ill  the  famous  "Valley  campaign,"  than  which 
there  was  nothing  more  brilliant  in  the  Italian  cam- 
paigns of  the  first  Xapoleon;  not  in  the  seven  days 
before  Richmond;  not  at  Cedar  Mountain;  not  at 
the  Second  Manassas;  not  at  Harper's  Ferry,  nor 
Sharpsburg,  nor  Fredericksburg;  not  even  at  Chan- 
cellorsville,  where  all  his  previous  achievements 
were  eclipsed  by  tlie  brilliancy  of  his  strategy  and 
the  force  of  his  blow;  not  on  any  of  those  hard- 
fought  fields,  where  he  delivered  battle  like  a  thun- 
derbolt, and  achieved  such  splendid  victories  over 
his  enemies,  does  he  appear  to  me  so  truly  great  as 
in  that  quiet  home,  where,  under  provocations  the 
most  bitter,  he  maintained  this  wonderful  mastery 
over  himself,  for  "he  that  is  slow  to  anger  is 
better  than  the  mighty,  and  he  that  ruleth  his  spirit 
than  he  that  taketh  a  city." 

The  general  was  not  lacking  in  a  se7ise  of  humor,  as 
I  have  said,  though  with  some  this  statement  might 
excite  surprise.  His  habitual  gravity,  it  has  been 
thous:ht,  excluded  from  his  mental  constitution 
everything  like  merriment.  But  the  fact  is,  he 
enjoved  a  jest  as  much  as  most  of  us,  and  would 
now  and  then  indulge  in  one  himself.  I  have  seen 
him  enter  with  8ur[)rising  relish  into  the  innocent 
pleasantries  of  the  young. 

It  is  a  delicate  theme  even  to  touch,  yet  no  account 
of  the  private  life  of  this  extraordinary  man  would 
be  complete  that  did  not  at  least  hint  that  one  of 
his  most  conspicuous  traits  at  home  was  his  fond  and 
absorbing  devotion  to  his  wife.  Those  who  knew 
him  only  as  a  soldier,  and  amid  the  stern  realities  of 
the  camp  and  the  march  and  the  battle-field,  will 


AN  INCIDENT.  499 

hardly  be  prepared  to  believe  that  in  the  sacred 
precincts  of  home  and  in  the  privacy  of  domestic 
life  this  sturdy  warrior  and  hard  tighter  exhibited 
all  the  softness  and  tenderness  almost  of  a  woman. 
His  chivalrous  deference  to  Mrs.  Jackson,  his  unfail- 
ing gentleness  towards  her,  his  delicate  attentions,  in 
which  there  was  nothing  of  connubial  dotage,  were 
something  beautiful  to  see.  It  is  true,  she  was  a 
woman  eminently  worthy  of  all  that  wealth  of 
ati'ection  which  he  lavished  upon  her  —  possessing 
all  the  qualities  that  could  attract  the  love  of  this 
noble  man  and  lead  him  to  enshrine  her  in  his  heart 
of  hearts. 

Perhaps  no  man  was  ever  fonder  of  the  delights  of 
home  than  he.  When  he  resigned  his  commission, 
and  while  he  was  arranging  to  resume  his  tranquil 
life  at  Lexington,  it  was  surprising  to  me,  and  yet 
beautiful  to  witness,  the  intense  pleasure  with  which 
he  anticipated  his  speedy  return  to  his  quiet 
home.  .  .  . 

On  the  day  our  troops  evacuated  Winchester, 
March  11th,  '62,  an  incident  occurred  which  deserves 
to  be  mentioned,  as  perhaps  the  oidy  instance  in 
which  the  general  ever  revealed  to  an  outsider  any 
of  his  military  plans.  The  enemy,  in  ovcrwliehn- 
ing  force,  were  ap})roaching,  and  arrangements  were 
evidently  making  for  tlie  falling  l)a('k  of  our  troops. 
The  army  stores  were  all  removed,  and  the  troops 
themselves  were  under  arms  on  the  Martinsburg 
Pike. 

At  dinner  we  thought  it  doubtful  if  we  would 
see  the  general  again  ;  but  he  came  to  supper  and, 
to  our  surprise,  all  aglow  with  pleasant  excitement. 


500  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

because  of  the  splendid  behavior  of  his  troops  and 
their  eagerness  to  meet  the  enemy  who  had  been 
seen,  but,  without  ottering  battle,  had  gone  into 
camp  at  the  Washington  Spring.  Some  ladies  had 
come  in  and  were  in  the  depth  of  gloom,  because,  as 
they  understood,  the  army  was  to  leave  us  that 
night.  To  this  view  the  general  gave  no  assent, 
but,  as  if  to  dispel  it,  showed  an  unusual  cheerful- 
ness. After  our  evening  worship,  which  he  con- 
ducted in  his  usual  impressive  and  delightful  way, 
he  still  sat  with  us,  manifesting  no  hurry  to  leave, 
and  by  the  tone  of  his  conversation  trying  to  direct 
the  minds  of  all  from  the  gloom  they  were  in.  When 
he  did  go,  in  answer  to  some  tears  which  he  prob- 
ably saw,  he  said  to  us,  who  thought  we  were  bid- 
ding him  "  good-bye,"  "  Oh,  I'll  see  you  again,"  and 
then,  suddenly,  as  if  not  meaning  to  say  so  much,  he 
added  :  "  I  don't  expect  to  leave."  Returning,  how- 
ever, within  an  hour,  and  finding  us  out,  he  des- 
patched a  servant  after  us  with  a  message  that  he 
wanted  to  see  me  at  once  at  his  office.  Hurr3'ing 
there,  I  found  him  walking  the  floor  under  more 
excitement  than  I  liad  ever  seen  him  exhibit  before. 
He  had  undergone  in  the  brief  space  of  time  a  sur- 
prising change.  His  countenance  betrayed  deep 
dejection,  and  his  spirit  Avas  burdened  with  an  inex- 
pressible weight  of  sadness.  At  first  he  did  not 
seem  to  know  what  to  say,  but  collecting  himself 
at  length,  he  said  he  did  not  mean  to  deceive  us  by 
giving  the  impression  that  he  would  not  abandon 
the  town.  He  liad  intended  to  lead  out  his  troops 
that  night,  and  hurl  them  on  the  camp  of  the  enemy, 
and  drive  such  as    were  not    captured    and   might 


IN  THE  SADDLE  AGAIN.  501 

survive  back  across  the  Potomac.  He  had  just  laid 
this  plan  before  his  officers,  who  exhibited  so  much 
opposition  to  it,  or  at  least  so  much  reluctance  to 
concur  in  it,  as  to  forbid  him  to  hope  for  its  success- 
ful execution.  Yet  he  was  bitterly  distressed  and 
mortified  at  the  necessity  of  leaving  the  people 
whom  he  loved  so  dearly.  Again  he  paced  the 
room  for  a  minute  or  two,  in  painful  indecision;- 
then,  suddenly,  pausing  before  me,  with  his  hand 
grasping  the  hilt  of  his  sword,  as  if  he  would  crush 
it,  and  his  face  fairly  blazing  with  the  fire  that  was 
burning  in  his  soul,  he  said:  ''I  may  execute  my 
purpose  still ;  I  have  ordered  my  officers  to  return 
at  half  past  nine."  His  appearance,  as  he  stood 
there  and  uttered  those  words,  I  can  never  forget. 
I  was  completely  awed  before  him.  But  the  hope- 
lessness of  securing  the  concurrence  of  his  officers 
again  possessed  him,  and,  with  an  air  of  grief,  he 
proposed  to  return  with  me  and  take  leave  of  my 
family.  Before  reaching  my  home  he  had  recovered 
his  composure,  though  not  his  cheerfulness  ;  and 
expressing  the  hope  that  a  good  Providence  would 
permit  him  soon  to  return  and  bring  deliverance  to 
the  town,  he  l)ade  us  a  touching  farewell. 

One  other  point  remains  to  be  noticed,  and  that  is 
the  strong  rclhjious  doiicnt  in  Jackson's  character. 
To  the  glory  of  a  soldier,  always  invincible  in  battle, 
he  added  the  higher  moral  glory  of  a  servant  of 
the  Lord,  who  never  swerved  from  the  line  of  duty. 
AVhile  eminent  for  many  things  he  was  pre-eminent 
for  his  trust  in  God.  It  was  no  ordinary  faith  that 
produced  such  a  man.  It  penetrated  his  entire 
being  and  had  him  in  thorough  possession.     And 


502      LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

yet  it  is  probable  that  in  respect  to  notlnng  else  lias 
he  been  so  utterly  misunderstood  and  misrepre- 
sented. The  impression  given  of  liim  by  many  is 
that  he  was  a  religious  fanatic.  He  has  been  likened 
to  an  "ancient  crusader,  who  had  an  absolute  assur- 
ance that  he  was  simply  an  agent  of  Divine  Will, 
commissioned  to  execute  the  divine  decrees,  and 
that  a  human  being  could  no  more  stand  in  his  way 
than  in  the  path  of  one  of  his  own  cannon  balls."' 
Others  have  found  in  him  a  likeness  to  the  fanatical 
enthusiasm  of  one  of  CromwelTs  Roundheads,  burst- 
ing out  in  a  kind  of  holy  frenzy,  and  exclaiming: 
"Oh,  how  good  it  is  to  pray  and  fight!"  But  the 
fact  is  that  many  of  those  wiio  have  written  or 
spoken  about  this  man  not  only  have  had  scant 
opportunity  to  judge  of  his  religious  character,  but 
were  wholly  incapable  of  judging  it  correctly,  had 
their  opportunities  been  ever  so  good.  "  The 
natural  man  receiveth  not  the  things  of  the  Spirit 
of  God,  for  they  are  foolishness  to  him  ;  neither  can 
he  know  them,  for  they  are  siiiritually  discerned." 
As  well  might  a  blind  man  presume  to  judge  of 
colors,  or  a  deaf  man  discourse  of  the  harmony  of 
sound,  as  for  a  mere  worldly  man  to  pronounce  upon 
the  things  of  God.  Accordingly,  many  of  the 
descriptions  that  are  given  of  Jackson's  religion 
are  simply  unconscious  confessions  on  the  i>art  of 
the  writers  of  their  utter  ignorance  of  that  about 
which  they  presume  to  write.  And  I  here  solemnly 
protest  that  every  attempt  to  associate  fanaticism 
in  any  degree  with  the  religious  life  of  Stonewall 
Jackson  is  a  foul  caricature  of  that  earnest,  simple 
Scripture  faith  in   God  which  dominated  his  whole 


SOLDIER  AND  SAINT.  503 

being  and  made  him  the  great  man  lie  was.  It'  I 
know  anything  at  all,  I  know  the  charaeter  of 
Jackson's  religion  through  and  through,  and  I 
know  it  to  have  been  free  from  any  and  every  ele- 
ment that  could  have  made  it  that  offensive  and 
absurd  thing  which  some  have  represented  it  to  be. 
He  was  simply  an  humble,  earnest,  devout,  conse- 
crated Christian  man.  Whatever  was  remarkable 
about  his  religion  was  due  to  its  absolute  possession 
of  him — its  thorough  power  over  him.  He  was  a 
man  of  God  first,  last  and  always.  He  feared  God 
and  tried  to  serve  Him.  He  loved  his  Saviour  and 
tried  to  glorify  Him.  He  believed  the  Scriptures  to 
be  the  Word  of  God,  inspired,  and  therefore  infal- 
lible. And  yet,  earnest  Christian  that  he  was,  no 
man  ever  knew  him  to  thrust  his  religion  offensively 
upon  another.  He  was  incapable  of  doing  it.  Much 
as  he  desired  the  salvation  of  all  men,  he  was  never 
guilty  of  the  folly  of  "  giving  that  which  is  holy 
unto  dogs,"  or  of  "  casting  his  pearls  before  swine." 
It  is  true  that  when  the  occasion  required  it  the 
soldier  was  almost,  if  not  altogether,  as  conspicuous 
in  him  as  the  saint.  Indeed,  there  was  a  strange 
union  in  him  of  soldier  and  saint.  It  may  have 
been  meant  for  a  jest,  but  it  was  no  slander,  when  it 
was  said  of  him,  in  the  current  language  of  the 
camp,  that  "  he  was  alwaj'S  praying  when  he  was 
not  figliting."  He  was  praying  when  he  was  fight- 
ing. Those  who  rode  or  walked  beside  him  on  the 
march  liavc  told  me  that  they  often  saw  his  lips 
moving  as  if  in  silent  prayer.  Before  he  went  into 
battle  he  might  be  found  upon  his  knees,  in  an 
agony  of  supplication.     And  when  the  battle  was 


504      LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

won,  he  always  recognized  it  as  not  by  his  own  skill 
or  valor,  but  by  the  favor  of  that  Ahnighty  Ruler 
of  whom  he  had  asked  the  victory,  and  to  whom  he 
bowed  again  in  humble  thanksgiving  for  the  victory 
that  had  been  granted. 

Of  the  character  of  his  secret  intercourse  with 
God,  of  course,  I  know  nothing ;  but  whether  at  the 
family  altar,  or  in  the  social  or  public  assembly,  no 
man  ever  evinced  more  of  the  sinrit  of  prayer,  and 
not  many  have  had  such  gifts  in  prayer. 

And  here  again  I  must  protest  against  that  mis- 
representation of  Jackson's  praying  which  has 
gained  currency,  I  apprehend,  through  that  famous 
ballad,  "  Stonewall  Jackson's  Way,"  which  claims 
to  show  how  he  acquired  the  power  over  his  troops 
which  made  his  little  brigade  greater  and  stronger 
than  a  host.  It  represents  that  on  the  march,  per- 
haps, or  at  some  unexpected  moment,  the  order 
would  suddenly  ring  out  to  the  whole  army ; 

"Silence!     Ground  arms!     Kneel  all !     Caps  off  I 

Old  Blue  Light's  ^oing  to  pray; 
Strangle  the  fool  that  dares  to  scoff: 

Attention  !     It's  his  way  — 
Appealing  from  his  native  sod, 
In  forma  pauperis,  to  God : 
'Lay  hare  Thine  arm!  stretch  forth  Thy  rod  ! 

Amen  1 '     That's  Stonewall's  way." 

Well,  that  ?<^rtsw7  "Stonewall  Jackson's  way"  at 
all.  There  never  was  anything  that  savored  in  the 
slightest  degree  of  irreverence,  or  flourish,  or  parade, 
or  impropriety,  in  any  act  of  devotion  performed  or 
ordered  by  him.    On  the  contrary,  there  was  always 


HIS  WAT.  J  505 

a  decent  regard  for  the  proprieties  of  worship  and  a 
solemnity  in  keeping  witli  the  veneration  due  to 
God. 

Here  is  an  incident  that  more  correctly  illustrates 
his  "way."  The  15th  of  November,  18G1,  was 
appointed  as  a  day  of  fasting,  humiliation  and 
prayer  throughout  the  Confederacy.  Recognizing 
the  eminent  propriety  of  the  appointment,  I  held 
service  in  my  church.  .  .  .  During  the  singing  of 
the  first  hymn  I  had  observed  an  ofiicer  quietly 
enter  and  take  a  seat  which  a  soldier  gave  him 
near  the  door.  It  was  the  general  commanding 
this  district.  When  the  hymn  following  the  first 
prayer  was  concluded,  I  rose  and,  with  some  mis- 
givings as  to  its  expediency,  asked,  "  Will  General 
Jackson  lead  us  in  prayer?"  The  request  was  an 
evident  surprise  both  to  him  and  to  the  congrega- 
tiqn.  But  after  a  somewhat  embarrassing  pause  of 
a  moment  or  two  he  arose,  and,  with  the  manner  of 
one  who  was  on  familiar  ground  and  engaged  in  a 
familiar  exercise,  he  led  us  at  once  into  the  presence 
of  God  and  to  the  throne  of  grace.  Beginning  with 
words  of  adoring  reverence,  which  immediately 
impressed  and  subdued  every  heart,  he  asked  to  be 
heard  for  the  sake  of  our  divine  Redeemer;  and 
then,  as  if  pouring  out  his  soul  before  God,  in  the 
most  simple  manner,  yet  with  deep  fervor,  he  made 
confession  of  our  utter  unworthiness  as  sinners  and 
of  our  absolute  dependence  on  divine  mercy.  In 
words  borrowed  from  Scripture,  and  uttered  in  most 
earnest  tones,  he  besought  God  to  bless  our  afflicted 
country  and  give  success  to  our  arms.  In  the  whole 
course    of  his   prayer   he   did    not   forget   for   one 


506      LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

moment  that  lie  was  one  of  a  company  of  sinners 
deserving  nothing  of  God,  yet  pleading  with  Him, 
for  Christ's  sake,  to  be  merciful  to  us  and  bless  us. 
Not  a  single  word  did  he  utter  inconsistent  with  the 
command  to  love  our  enemies.  Not  once  did  he  ven- 
ture to  tell  God  what  He  ought  to  do  in  that  great 
crisis  of  our  country.  But  while  he  did  importu- 
nately ask  that  our  arms  might  be  crowned  with 
victory  and  our  country  obtain  its  independence,  he 
was  careful  to  ask  it  in  humble  deference  to  divine 
wisdom,  and  only  if  it  would  be  for  God's  glory  and 
our  good. 

I  have  reason  to  remember  that  prayer.  Not  only 
was  its  impression  left  upon  the  remainder  of  the 
meeting — which  from  that  time  to  its  close  was  one 
of  the  most  solemn  and  spiritual  I  ever  attended — 
but  its  influence  was  marked  in  the  communit3\  It 
seemed  to  teach  men  how  to  pray  in  those  troublous 
times.  If  General  Jackson,  who  had  "jeopardized 
his  life  in  the  high  places  of  the  field,"  and  whose 
loyalty  was  beyond  suspicion,  could  pray  for  the 
success  of  the  army  and  the  independence  of  the 
Confederacy,  without  airing  his  patriotism  or  abus- 
ing the  foe,  others  might  be  calm  in  their  utterances, 
too.  Men  learned  that  even  in  time  of  war  it  was 
not  necessary  to  berate  the  enemy  while  pleading 
with  God  for  his  defeat.  And  it  was  this  manner  of 
praying,  including,  of  course,  all  that  was  involved 
in  it,  that  was  the  real  secret  of  Jackson's  greatness. 
His  heroism  and  success  were  derived  from  God. 
The  deepest  conviction  of  his  heart,  as  well  as  the 
invariable  confession  of  his  li])s,  was  tliat  he  owed 
all  that  he  had  ever  done  or  attained  to  God  alone. 


GOD  OF  BATTLES.  507 

He  was  distinguished  from  other  renowned  warriors 
in  many  things,  but  most  in  this,  that  he  attributed 
all  the  glory  of  liis  victories  to  the  God  of  battles 
who  is  also  the  God  of  grace.  Unlike  other  great 
generals,  who  trusted  in  the  strength  of  their  sword 
and,  in  the  pride  of  conscious  genius,  boasted 
that  destiny  was  their  own,  lie  trusted  in  "the  liv- 
ing God  "  alone.  He  "  taught  his  hands  to  war  and 
his  fingers  to  fight."  And  this  strong  confidence 
was  at  last  the  secret  of  his  extraordinary  skill  in 
counsel  and  his  invincible  powers  in  war. 


6b^<\^ 


SOME  PERSONAL  REMINISCENCES 


LT.-GEN.  THOS.  J.  (STONEWALL)  JACKSON. 

By  Major-Gbneral  Wm.  B.  Taliaferro, 

(Commanded  Brigade  under  General  Jackson.) 

My  acquaintance  witli  General  Jackson  com- 
menced shortly  after  the  Mexican  War,  when,  as  one 
of  the  members  of  the  Visitorial  Board  of  the  Vir- 
ginia Military  Institute,  I  found  him  the  newly 
appointed  professor  of  natural  philosoph}-  and 
instructor  of  artillery  in  that  institution.  The  im- 
pression he  produced  upon  me  at  that  time  was 
that  he  was  a  man  of  peculiarities,  quite  distinctly 
marked  from  other  people — reserved,  yet  polite; 
reticent  of  opinions,  but  fixed  in  the  ideas  he  had 
formed;  essentially  averse  to  obtruding  them  upon 
others,  but  determined  and  unflinching  in  their 
advocacy,  when  pressed  to  any  expression  of  them. 

The  striking  characteristic  then,  as  it  remained 
(only  intensified)  in  after  life,  was  his  strict  sense  of 
duty. 

He  had  been  a  lieutenant  of  artillery  in  Mexico, 
in  the  famous  battery  of  "El  Capitan  Colorado," 
John  Banklicad  Magruder,  who  gained  that  sobri- 
quet from  the  flashy  uniform  which  he  wore,  which 
rivaled  that  of  Murat  in  the  gold  lace  and  red 
Btripes  with  which  it  was  decorated. 


ARTILLERY  HIS  FAVORITE.  509 

Jackson  was  by  no  means,  however,  the  counter- 
part of  his  commander,  for  more  antithetical  char- 
acters I  never  knew. 

The  artillery  arm  of  his  profession  was  always 
Jackson's  favorite. 

I  never  knew  him  to  ignore  or  decline  the  use  of 
artillery  but  twice,  in  my  service  with  him.  The 
battle  of  McDowell  (Sitlington's  Hill  in  the  Federal 
reports)  was  fought  without  artillery  on  the  Con- 
federate side.  It  was  rough  ground,  almost  as  rough 
as  Cerro  Gordo ;  but  still  guns  might  have  been 
dragged  up  the  heights.  He  was  urged  to  send 
them,  but  declined — why,  nobody  knows.  He  rarely 
gave  reasons ;  he  gave  orders,  that  was  all — short, 
sharp,  quick,  decisive.  The  tone  and  manner 
stopped  inquiry. 

When  we  laid  along  the  Rappahannock,  from 
Fredericksburg  to  Port  Royal,  after  the  battle  with 
Burnside's  army,  the  pickets  in  front  of  our  lines, 
which  were  well  drawn  back  from  the  river,  were 
necessarily  heavy.  Riding  with  my  chief  of  artillery 
to  his  headquarters,  I  suggested  the  propriety  of 
reinforcing  the  regiments  on  picket  in  my  front 
with  a  few  guns.  He  curtly  replied,  "  Xo,  I  had 
rather  rely  upon  the  infantry,"  to  the  surprise  of 
the  officers  of  artillery,  who,  although  saved  a  dis- 
agreeable duty,  were  mortified  at  the  implied  affront 
to  their  arm  of  the  service.  Nothing  of  the  sort, 
however,  was  intended;  he  believed  in  their  efficac}' 
and  efficiency',  but  he  was  satisfied  that  Burnside 
had  no  intention  to  renew  the  attack. 

I  reported  to  Jackson  as  colonel,  with  a  brigade 
of  troops  from  Georgia,  Arkansas  and  Virginia,  in 


510  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

December,  1861,  iit  Winchester.  We  had  crossed 
the  Alleghanies  with  Garuett,  participated  in  his 
Northwest  Virginia  campaign,  and  had  suifered  the 
terrible  hardships  of  his  retreat  before  McClellan, 
and  afterwards  of  the  rugged  service  of  the  Alle- 
ghany and  Cheat  Mountain  country,  with  Generals 
Loring  and  Henry  R.  Jackson. 

Jackson,  at  Winchester,  disclosed  to  me  a  trait 
which  had  not  struck  me  before.  There  is  a  great 
difi'erence,  however,  in  looking  at  a  brevet  major 
and  a  full  major-general.  I  had  not  noticed  the 
saliency  of  his  character — I  will  not  say  restlessness, 
but  the  desire  to  do,  to  be  moving,  to  make  and 
to  embrace  opportunity.  At  the  Institute  he  was 
more  than  ordinarily  passive.  The  fire  was  there, 
but  he  was  a  soldier  ingrain,  and  he  believed  it  to 
be  his  dut^^in  his  subordinate  place,  to  execute,  not 
to  suggest. 

His  command  was  greatly  augmented  by  the 
troops  of  General  Loring,  and  the  combined  forces 
were  known  as  the  Army  of  the  Valley.  I  will  not 
describe  our  march,  in  January,  1862,  to  Hancock 
and  Romney,  nor  notice  the  campaign  more  than  to 
say  that  it  illustrated  the  go-aheaditivencss  of 
Jackson's  character.  It  was  in  tlie  depth  of  winter, 
in  a  harsh  climate  and  over  mountain  roads  which 
would  have  appalled  and  deterred  most  men,  yet 
Jackson  was  apparently  unconscious  of  either  cold 
or  suffering.  He  had  his  ol)ject  in  view  and  saw 
nothing  else.  His  orders  were  to  go,  and  avi^  had  to 
go.  The  hills  were  glaciers — neither  horses  nor 
mules  could  gain  a  footliold.  What  then?  A  corps 
of  pioneers  was  organized,  with  pickaxes,  and  the 


SNOWBALLED  BY  THE  ENEMY.  511 

steep  declivities  were  literally  trenched  from  top  to 
bottom,  to  enable  the  animals  to  stick  their  feet  upon 
an  unyielding  surface.  In  this  way  we  made,  one 
day,  only  two  miles;  but  that  much  had  been  accom- 
plished. Jackson  had  a  lively  horror  of  the  impedi- 
menta of  an  army.  We  were  ordered  to  leave  the 
wagons  behind.  The  guns,  of  course,  had  to  go — 
prolongs  and  pickaxes  did  it.  When  we  reached 
the  river  opposite  Hancock  there  was  neither  tent 
nor  camp  equipage.  No  houses  w^ere  there,  hardly 
a  tree.  The  weather  was  intense,  and  a  hard,  crisp 
snow  sheeted  the  landscape.  It  is  a  fact  that  the 
enemy  literally  snowballed  us,  for  the  missiles  from 
their  guns  scattered  the  hard  snow  and  hurled  the 
fragments  upon  us,  almost  as  uncomfortable  to  us 
as  the  splinters  from  their  shells.  Days  and  nights 
we  were  there  without  shelter  of  any  kind.  One 
officer  sent  his  servant  back  for  his  camp  bed,  and 
the  next  morning,  covered  with  snow,  it  was  an 
antique  tomb,  with  the  effigy  of  an  ancient  knight 
carved  upon  it.  Fortunately  for  us,  the  fences  of 
that  country  were  not  all  of  stone,  and  knew  how 
to  burn. 

That  Jackson  was  not  popular  with  his  officers 
and  men,  even  of  his  old  brigade,  at  that  time,  is 
undeniable;  for  the  true  secret  of  the  power  of  the 
American  soldier  is  his  individuality — the  natural 
result  of  American  citizenship;  and  .Tackson's  men 
thought,  and,  thinking,  did  not  think  that  the  ends 
accomplished  by  the  Romney  campaign  justified  the 
sacrifices  which  were  made. 

It  was  their  later  common  baptism  of  fire  in  the 
battles  which  were  not  long  after  fought,  and  his 


512      LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 
I 

absolute  fearlessness,  if  not  unconsciousness,  of  dan- 
ger, which  endeared  him  to  his  men,  and  gave  rise 
to  the  saying,  when  a  shout  was  heard  on  the  march 
or  in  camp,  "  Pshaw !  It  is  only  Jackson  or  a  rabbit." 

When  Jackson  followed  Milroy,  after  the  battle 
of  McDowell,  down  the  valley  of  the  South  Branch 
of  the  Potomac,  lie  had  with  him  several  regiments 
of  Garnett's  old  command,  who  had  been  chased  up 
the  same  valley  by  those  they  were  now  pursuing. 
He  fully  entered  into  the  feelings  of  these  men,  and 
grimly  enjoyed  the  joke  of  their  turning  the  tables 
uj)on  their  former  pursuers. 

At  Staunton,  on  this  march,  he  had  picked  up  the 
Institute  cadets.  The  boys  seemed  to  enjoy  the 
idea  of  serving  with  their  old  professor  and  taking 
part  in  real  warfare.  One  night,  returning  from  the 
front  in  the  darkness,  I  hailed  the  sentinel  and 
asked  whose  command  I  was  passing.  He  replied, 
with  a  chuckle  which  I  did  not  understand,  "  Smith's 
division,  sir."  "Ah,"  I  rejoined,  "General  G.W. 
Smith's  division  has  reinforced  us  —  is  that  pos- 
sible ?"  He  burst  out  with  a  loud  laugh,  as  he  cried, 
"  No,  sir;  Brevet  Major-General  Francis  H.  Smith's 
division,  corps  of  cadets."  I  pardoned  his  impu- 
dence for  his  wit,  and  left  him  convulsed  with 
laughter  at  the  idea  of"  selling"  a  general  officer. 

With  Milroy  out  of  his  way,  owing  to  his  mas- 
terly concentration  of  troops  west  of  Staunton,  who 
but  the  day  before  had  crossed  the  mountain  into 
East  Virginia,  "  en  route,"  as  they  supposed,  for 
Richmond,  and  his  junction  with  General  Edward 
Johnson,  and  by  tlie  unrivaled  celerity  of  his  move- 
ments, Jackson   returned  to  the  Valley  proper  to 


PUZZLING    THE    ENEMY.  513 

operate  against  General  Banks.  He  had  driven 
that  officer  to  the  Potomac  after  the  brilliant  aftairs 
in  the  Luray  Valley  and  at  "Winchester,  and  was 
returning  up  the  Valley,  Avhen,  after  a  short  illness, 
I  reported  to  him  again  for  duty.  His  headquarters 
were  at  a  comfortable  mansion,  not  far  below  Stras- 
burg.  He  insisted  that  I  should  rest  myself  upon 
his  bed ;  and  as  he  assured  me  that  he  had  no  imme- 
diate expectation  of  collision  with  the  enemy,  I  con- 
sented, and  he  carefully,  with  his  own  hands,  threw 
his  blanket  over  me.  I  mention  this  little  incident 
to  show  the  genuine  kind-heartedness  of  his  nature. 
I  had  not  long  indulged  in  this  unusual  luxury  for 
an  officer  of  the  "foot  cavalry"  when  the  not  very 
distant  boom  of  artillery  aroused  me,  and  Jackson, 
hurrying  in,  directed  me  to  hasten  to  the  menaced 
front,  on  the  Capon  Spring  Road,  and  with  my  own 
and  Scott's  brigade  hold  the  enemy  in  check.  It 
was  the  advance  (a  comparatively  small  force)  of 
Fremont's  army. 

At  no  time  in  his  career  was  Jackson  in  a  more 
hazardous  situation.  Behind  him  he  had  Banks, 
largely  reinforced ;  on  his  right  flank  Fremont,  and 
on  his  left  flank  Shields,  the  whole  three  armies 
converging  upon  Strasburg,  which  Jackson,  encum- 
bered with  prisoners  and  captured  stores  of  all  kinds, 
had  not  yet  passed  when  he  was  struck  by  the 
enemy.  But  his  invincil>le  push  and  pluck  saved 
him,  with  all  his  spoil.  We  marched  and  skirmished 
all  that  day  and  the  whole  of  the  succeeding  night 
until  nine  o'clock  the  following  morning.  It  seemed 
a  miracle,  his  escape  from  dangers  which  other  men 
would  have  avoided,  but  which  he  seemed  to  deli2:lit 
33 


514      LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

to  push  himself  into.  The  result  proved  that  what 
his  officers  often  thought  rashness  was  close  calcula- 
tion, based  upon  factors  which  they  did  not  possess. 
But  certainly  we  had  some  nice  shaves,  which  kept 
us  pretty  generally  in  a  state  of  anxiety  and  sus- 
pense. 

Jackson  sought  advice  and  counsel,  as  far  as  I 
knew,  of  none.  He  never  called  a  council  of  war, 
to  my  knowledge,  but  acted  solely  on  his  own 
responsibility ;  and,  unadvised  as  he  was,  it  is  a  fact 
that  he  always  went  farther  in  advance  and  retired 
later  in  retreat  than  any  commander  I  ever  knew. 

Jackson  was  a  wonderful  gatherer  of  supplies. 
He  had  a  pet  commissary.  General  Banks.  He 
would  leave  behind  nothing  that  he  had  captured. 
After  the  battle  of  Port  Republic,  when  we  had  pur- 
sued the  command  of  Shields  miles  down  the  Luray 
Valley,  we  retraced  our  steps,  marching  in  full  view 
of  the  foiled  army  of  Fremont,  on  the  opposite  side 
of  the  river,  barred  from  approaching  us  because  of 
burned  bridges,  and  ensconced  ourselves  in  Brown's 
Gap  of  the  Blue  Ridge.  Late  at  night  Jackson  sent 
an  officer  to  inquire  if  I  had  brought  off  the  capt- 
ured artillery.  The  reply  was,  "Everything  except 
an  unserviceable  caisson,"  and  that  only  for  tlic  want 
of  horses;  the  weather  was  wretched,  tlic  roads 
intolerable :  but  the  order  came  back,  post-haste, 
that,  if  it  took  every  horse  in  the  command,  that 
caisson  must  be  l)rought  up  before  daylight.  It  was 
ten  miles  off.  The  officer  who  had  to  fetch  it  Avas 
very  much  of  the  opinion  of  the  soldier  who,  when 
his  company  was  ordered  to  bring  in  a  gun  wliich 
had  been  left  outside  the  skirmish  line,  proposed  to 


ESCAPED    CAPTURE.  515 

his  captain  to  "take  up  a  subscription  to  pay  for  the 
thing,  and  let  it  bo;"  but  he  hardly  ventured  to 
make  the  suggestion  to  General  Jackson,  and 
accordingly  the  caisson  was  "  on  time."  It  was  just 
before  the  battle  of  Port  Republic  that  Jackson  so 
narrowly  escaped  capture,  and  the  famous  adventure 
of  "  the  bridge  "  occurred.  The  day  before  the  battle 
of  Cross  Keys,  which  preceded  that  of  Port  Repub- 
lic by  one  day,  Jackson,  retreating  before  the  com- 
bined forces  of  Banks,  Fremont,  Milroy  and  Schenck 
in  his  rear,  and  Shields  on  his  left  flank,  marching 
up  the  Luray  Valley,  reached  the  Shenandoah  at  the 
village  of  Port  Republic.  Ilis  trains  of  all  kinds, 
quartermaster,  commissary  and  ordnance,  were 
thrown  across  the  bridge  into  the  town  on  the  south 
bank,  but,  never  in  a  hurry  on  a  retreat,  he  halted 
his  whole  army  on  the  opposite  or  north  side  of  the 
river.  His  own  headquarters  were  established  in 
the  town,  which  was  not  occupied  by  more  than  a 
single  company  of  soldiers.  My  own  brigade  was 
lying  on  the  north  side,  next  the  town,  in  the  hills, 
back  from  the  river;  General  Winder's  (Stonewall) 
brigade  next  back  of  me,  and  Ewell's  Division  some 
distance  still  in  the  rear,  confronting  the  enemy. 

On  the  next  morning  the  chaplains  were  directed 
to  hold  services  in  their  several  regiments,  and  the 
serenity  of  the  atmosphere  and  the  loveliness  of  the 
day  betokened  anything  hut  the  sanguinary  strife 
which  was  to  break  the  quiet  of  that  Sabbatli  day. 

Believing  that  "  cleaidiness  is  next  to  godliness," 
and  in  the  conservative  eft'ect  of  the  army  regulations 
which,  founded  upon  that  idea,  required  Sunday 
inspections,  I  ordered  my  regiments  and  batteries  to 


516  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TIIOxMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

assemble  for  inspection,  instead  of  for  cliurch.  It 
was  a  fortunate  circumstance,  if  I  may  not  be  per- 
mitted to  call  it  a  providential  one.  Just  as  the 
regiments  were  formed  the  sound  of  guns  and  tlie 
scattering  fire  of  small  arms  was  heard  in  the  town. 
"Without  an  instant's  delay  I  rushed  my  command 
by  regiments  towards  the  river,  which  was  hidden 
from  us  by  the  intervening  hills,  aiming  for  the 
covered  bridge  which  spanned  the  river.  The 
Thirty-seventh  Virginia  Regiment,  Colonel  Fulker- 
son,  from  its  position,  had  the  good  fortune  to  be 
much  in  the  advance  of  the  others.  Half  way  to 
the  bridge  I  met  General  Jackson  spurring  up  the 
road.  He  was  not  excited — ho  never  was,  and  never, 
under  any  circumstances  that  I  am  aware  of,  lost 
his  presence  of  mind  or  yielded  to  panicky  influences. 
I  remember  receiving  no  order  from  him,  unless  to 
hasten  on  ;  there  was  no  time  for  orders.  I  do  not 
recollect  his  turning  back  with  us,  as  some  writers 
have  asserted ;  I  do  not  believe  he  did  ;  I  think  he 
pushed  on  to  forward  reinforcements.  Throwing 
one  company  from  the  rear  of  the  regiment  to 
deliver  its  fire  upon  the  opposite  bridge-head,  with- 
out halting  a  moment,  we  ruslied,  by  file,  into  the 
covered  bridge.  A  gun  was  planted  at  its  mouth 
on  the  other  side,  and  the  lanyard  was  in  the  hand 
of  the  Federal  gunner ;  but  the  impetus  and  shock 
of  our  advance  were  so  sudden  that  he  threw  it 
down  without  firing  and  took  to  flight.  The  other 
regiments  were  close  behind  the  Thirty-seventh,  and 
of  course  we  soon  regained  the  town.  Mr.  Joliiv 
Esten  Cooke,  in  liis  life  of  Jackson,  ti'lls  the  story 
of  Jackson's  personating  a  Federal  oflicer,  ordering 


PRAYER  BEFORE  BATTLE.  517 

the  gun  away  from  the  bridge,  and  then,  before  the 
mistake  was  discovered,  escaping.  I  have  no  reason 
to  doubt  the  correctness  of  the  incident;  it  would 
have  been  in  keeping  with  the  quiet  coohiess  of  the 
\nan  under  the  circumstances  ;  but  it  is  certain  that 
a  whole  brigade  was  double-quicking  to  the  bridge 
before  he  had  crossed  it. 

The  battle  of  Port  Republic  was  fought  next  day. 
About  twelve  o'clock  at  night  I  was  sent  for  by  Gen- 
eral Jackson.  He  was  pacing  the  floor  of  a  small 
bedroom.  He  explained  that  Captain  Mason,  the 
famous  bridge  builder,  would  improvise  a  means  of 
crossing  the  north  fork  of  the  river,  and  that  he 
wished  me  to  cross,  with  my  brigade,  "at  early 
dawn" — his  favorite  expression — for  the  purpose  of 
attacking  Shields.  He  then  informed  me  that  he 
would  walk  a  while  in  the  garden  attached  to  the 
dwelling-house,  and  invited  me  to  lie  upon  his  bed 
and  sleep  until  his  return.  His  object  in  seeking 
the  seclusion  of  the  garden  was  to  engage  in  prayer, 
unseen  by  any  eye.  He  was,  without  doubt,  a 
genuinely  devout  man. 

I  do  not  think  his  religious  belief,  save  and  except 
his  abiding  confidence  in  the  providence  of  God, 
had  any  influence  or  eflect  in  causing  him  to  ex[»ose 
his  person  to  the  extent  to  which  he  did.  He  was 
simply  impelled  by  a  conviction,  which  otten  carried 
him  too  far,  that  his  duty  '"equircd  him  to  go  to  the 
front  and  see  for  himself,  and  he  Avas  certainly  as 
unconscious  of  fear  as  any  man  I  ever  met. 

At  Cedar  Run,  or  Slaughter's  Mountain,  the  escape 
of  Jackson  from  death  was  miraculous.  The  enemy 
had  turned  our  left  flank,  and  we  were  surrounded 


518      LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

and  forced  back.  He  was  in  the  tliickest  of  the 
combat,  at  very  sliort  range.  I  rode  up  to  him  and 
insisted  that  he  should  retire,  plainly  and  emphat- 
ically telling  him  it  was  no  place  for  the  commander 
of  an  army.  He  looked,  perhaps,  a  little  surprised, 
but  the  logic  of  the  situation  forced  itself  upon  his 
mind,  and  with  his  invariable  ejaculation  of  "Good, 
good,"  he  rode  to  the  rear. 

This  battle  was  fought  with  an  intensity  of  bitter 
feeling  on  the  part,  of  the  Confederates,  which  was 
not  often,  if  ever,  exhibited.  It  was  duo  to  the 
obnoxious  and  outrageous  orders  issued  by  General 
Pope  (General  Orders  No.  11),  which  intensely 
inflamed  our  soldiers  and  called  forth  retaliatory 
measures  on  the  part  of  the  Confederate  govern- 
ment. 

After  our  lines  were  re-established  and  advanced, 
just  after  the  gallant  charge  of  General  Bayard's 
cavalry  vipon  us,  rising  a  hill,  the  Twenty-third  Vir- 
ginia Regiment  encountered  part  of  General  Prince's 
brigade,  who,  taken  unawares,  were  forced  to  sur- 
render. A  dozen  muskets  were  leveled  at  their 
commander,  when  a  sergeant  saved  his  life  by  call- 
ing out,  "Don't  shoot  him,  boys,  save  him  to  hang.'' 

Jackson's  movements  were  always  shrouded  in 
mystery.  None  of  his  division  commanders  were 
informed  of  his  intentions,  and  it  was  a  source  of 
much  annoyance  to  them  to  be  ordered  blindly  to 
move,  without  knowing  whither  or  to  what  purpose. 

Lying  near  Gordonsville,  after  our  return  from 
the  battles  around  Richmond,  I  received  an  order  to 
have  my  wagons  packed  and  have  my  command 
stretched  out  on  the  turnpike  by  "early  dawn"  the 


UNCONSCIOUS    OF    DANGER.  519 

next  morning.  The  order  was  obeyed  to  the  letter. 
"We  were  standing  nnder  arms  at  the  first  gleam  of 
day.  There  we  stood;  the  sun  rose,  and  we  were 
there  still.  An  hour  passed,  bringing  with  it  the 
heat  of  a  July  day,  and  yet  no  intimation  of  a  move- 
ment. I  rode  to  the  general's  head(jnarter8,  found 
him  at  breakfast,  declined  his  invitation  to  join  him, 
and,  apologizing  for  the  liberty  which  I  ventured  to 
take,  begged  to  be  allowed  to  march  my  troops  any- 
where. He  smiled,  asked  if  I  knew  the  road  to  the 
Green  Spring  country  in  Louisa  County,  and  if  so,  I 
might  proceed.  He  merely  wished  to  change  his 
camp.  It  was  fifteen  miles  ofl:",  but  before  three  o'clock 
the  men  were  comfortably  in  Invouac,  and  I  had 
received  half  a  dozen  invitations  to  dinner  from  the 
hospital)le  gentlemen  of  that  beautiful  region. 

About  ten  o'clock  at  night  Ewell's  troops  joined 
us.  They  had  received  no  orders  to  march,  until 
midday.  On  another  occasion  I  was  ordered  to 
have  my  camp  well  policed  and  to  issue  orders  for 
regimental  and  brigade  drills.  It  was  significant  of 
a  long  stay,  but  I  did  not  so  interpret  it.  I  gave 
the  orders,  but  also  quiet  directions  to  have  rations 
cooked  and  wagons  packed.  Before  sunrise  we 
were  marching  in  the  direction  of  Fredericksburg, 
to  meet  a  force  which  had  ventured  up  the  Rapidan. 
The  orders  to  drill  were  intended,  and  properly  so, 
for  a  blind,  to  prevent  his  contemplated  movement 
being  suspected  or  communicated  by  visitors  to  his 
camp. 

I  have  mentioned  Jackson's  afiection  for  artillery 
and  his  unconsciousness  of  danger.  At  Cunning- 
ham's Ford,  on  the  Rappahannock,  in  the  campaign 


520  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

against  Pope,  Jackson's  old  division,  commanded  by 
himself,  was  in  advance,  with  orders  to  cross  the 
river  at  that  point.  These  orders  were  counter- 
manded by  General  Lee,  and  the  whole  army  halted. 
The  enemy  were  showing  themselves  in  considerable 
numbers  on  the  opposite  bank,  whereupon  I  ran  up 
several  field-pieces  to  the  front,  bringing  on  a  lively 
artillery  duel. 

Our  guns  were  moved  from  time  to  time  to 
different  positions  to  divert  the  range  of  the  oppos- 
ing pieces,  whose  practice  was  excellent.  Jackson 
rode  up,  approved  of  my  disposition  of  the  troops, 
which  had  been  retired  to  the  woods  in  the  rear,  and 
proposed  to  me  to  ride  with  liim  to  the  batteries. 
Seeing  no  particular  necessity  for  exposing  my 
staff",  I  sent  them  back  and  accompanied  him.  He 
took  his  station  close  beside  the  guns,  and  soon 
seemed  to  become  fascinated  by  the  work  in  hand 
and  utterly  unconscious  of  the  peril  to  himself.  He 
was  out  of  place  undou])tedly,  but  he  seemed  to  have 
forgotten  himself  in  his  eagerness  to  see  the  guns 
served,  leaning  forward  on  his  horse  to  watch  the 
effect  of  the  discharges,  and  now  and  then  exclaim- 
ing in  his  quick,  sharp  way,  when  a  shot  told, 
"  Good,  good."  Men  and  horses  were  killed  around 
him,  among  them  one  of  his  couriers,  but  he  did  not 
seem  to  observe  it  or  to  realize  the  situation.  All  at 
once,  however,  he  turned  to  me  and  asked,  as 
quietly  as  if  he  had  been  sitting  in  his  tent,  "  General, 
are  you  a  man  of  family?"  "Yes,"  I  replied,  "I 
have  a  wife  and  five  children  at  home,  and  my  im- 
pression is  that  in  less  than  five  minutes  there  will 
be  a  widow  and  five  orphans  there."    "  Good,  good," 


CLASH  OF  THE  ARMIES.  521 

and  then  smhlenly,  to  the  relief  of  all  who  were 
with  him,  it  appeared  to  flash  upon  him  that,  how- 
ever exciting  the  role  of  battery  commander  might 
be,  it  was  not  altogether  consistent  with  the  position 
and  responsibilities  of  the  chief  of  a  corps,  and, 
giving  orders  to  have  the  battery  moved,  he  galloped 
to  the  rear,  in  which  retrograde  movement  I  felt  it 
to  be  my  duty  to  accompany  him.  I  have  always 
had  a  sort  of  suspicion,  however,  that  his  own  life 
was  saved  on  that  occasion  by  liis  sympathy  for  my 
wife  and  children. 

The  march  of  the  two  opposing  armies  the  next 
day  presented  a  novel  spectacle.  Each  was  seeking 
the  upper  fords  of  the  Rappahannock,  and  on  either 
bank  of  the  river  they  moved,  on  nearly  parallel 
lines,  separated  by  a  space  so  narrow  that  not  only 
could  their  trains  and  artillery  be  seen  by  one 
another,  but  at  times  the  lines  of  infantry  and  their 
distinctive  flags  be  recognized.  It  was  a  reproduc- 
tion of  the  scene  presented  by  the  armies  of  Well- 
ington andMassenain  Spain,  so  graphically  described 
by  the  historians  of  the  peninsular  campaign. 

The  star  of  Jackson  seemed  for  a  time  the  succeed- 
ing day  to  be  dimmed,  and,  indeed,  part  of  his  corps 
was  in  great  peril.  Early's  brigade  and  one  regi- 
ment of  Lawton's  had  been  thrown  to  the  north 
bank  of  the  river  by  a  bridge  at  Warrenton  Springs, 
when  a  rain  storm  of  unusual  severity  raged  through- 
out the  night,  and  every  mountain  tributary  jtoured 
the  volume  of  its  accumulated  waters  into  the  torrent 
of  the  Rappahannock. 

Early's  situation  was  one  of  imminent  danger; 
he  was  beyond  the  hope  of  succor  and  enveloped 


522      LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

by  the  enemy.  The  anxiety  and  soUcitude  felt  for 
him  by  Jackson  and  his  whole  command  were 
intense.  Early's  self-reliance  and  the  vigor  and  skill 
with  which  he  mastered  the  situation  were  wonder- 
ful, and  Jackson's  efforts  to  extricate  him  untiring. 
He  personally  superintended  the  construction  of  the 
bridg-e  over  which  relief  was  to  be  afforded,  and  over 
w^hich  Early  ultimately  returned,  urging  by  his 
presence  and  encouragement  the  Herculean  efforts  of 
the  men  who  were  struggling  in  the  water  to  fasten 
the  timbers  of  a  new  and  improvised  bridge.  His 
anxiety  was  great,  but  it  was  not  manifested  by 
speech  or  look.  He  was  as  impassive  as  when,  the 
day  before,  he  sat  by  the  sulphur  spring  and  asked 
questions  about  the  properties  of  the  water. 

The  movement  of  Jackson,  with  his  corps,  in  the 
rear  of  the  army  of  General  Pope  is  well  known. 
No  achievement  of  the  war  was  effected  with  greater 
secrecy,  if  not  with  more  absolute  mystery  to  the 
enemy,  than  "  Jackson's  raid,"  as  it  was  called,  and 
no  one  of  his  exploits  was  planned  and  executed 
with  more  skill,  a  more  consummate  exhibition  of 
the  principles  of  strategy  and  grand  tactics,  or  with 
greater  celerity  of  movement,  than  this.  Although 
cut  off  from  the  rest  of  General  Lee's  army,  although 
miles  removed  from  his  supplies,  althougb  much 
nearer  to  the  Federal  capital  than  was  the  Federal 
army  itself,  he  was  as  confident  and  self-reliant  as 
if  he  had  been  where  the  Federal  government  and 
General  Pope  supposed  bim  to  be  —  across  the 
mountains,  in  the  Valley  of  Virginia. 

T  was  ordered  to  hold  my  division  in  and  around 
Manassas  Junction,  take  charge  ofthc  immense  stores 


CAPTURE  OF  COMMISSARY  STORES.  523 

which  we  had  captured,  and,  after  providing  for  the 
wants  of  the  troops,  to  destroy  what  remained. 
Among  the  prisoners  was  the  post  commissary, 
a  major,  whose  name  I  can  not  recall.  He  was  a 
conscientious  officer,  whatever  his  name  might  be,  for 
he  begged  to  be  allowed  to  save  his  papers,  in  order 
to  settle  with  his  government,  and  was  no  little  con- 
cerned when  I  suggested  that  the  easiest  way  to 
square  his  accounts  would  be  to  report  them 
"destroyed  by  the  enemy,"  and  I  would  take  pleas- 
ure in  summarily  auditing  and  passing  them  in  that 
manner.  I  then  requested  him  to  point  out  to  me 
the  barrels  of  whisky  and  other  liquors  which  were 
in  store,  that  I  might  have  them  destroyed  before 
the  men  could  get  access  to  them.  This  was  done, 
but  he  commended  to  my  own  use  a  rundlet  of 
cognac,  as  being  much  too  good  to  be  staved.  At 
this  moment  General  Jackson  and  General  Stuart 
entered  the  room,  and  I  proposed  to  them  to  share 
with  me  this  spoil  and  to  test  at  once  the  com- 
missary's judgment.  This  they  both  declined  to  do, 
and  I  was  obliged  to  drink  "  better  luck  next  time  " 
to  my  unfortunate  host  without  their  assistance. 

Only  on  this  one  occasion,  in  my  sor\dce  with  Jack- 
son, did  he  communicate  to  me,  and,  as  far  as  I  know, 
to  any  of  his  officers,  the  plans  he  had  formed.  To 
General  Stuart  and  myself,  in  that  commissary  office 
at  Manassas  Junction,  he  explained  the  movement 
he  intended  to  make  that  night  and  tlie  next  day, 
and  the  manner  in  which  he  would  reunite  his  corps 
with  that  of  Longstreet,  if  that  general  should  be 
unable  to  push  his  corps  through  Thoroughfare 
Gap.     His   idea   was   simply  to    place   liimself,  by 


524  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

retiring  to  a  point  west  of  the  Warrenton  Turnpike, 
nearer  to  the  Bull  Run  Mountains,  and  thus  nearer 
to  Longstreet,  on  the  flank  of  the  enemy,  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Aldie  Gap,  and  thus  to  provide  the 
avenue  of  retreat  in  the  event  of  the  failure  of 
Longstreet  to  join  him. 

In  moving  my  division  that  night  Jackson's  liabit 
of  pushing  to  the  front  led  to  a  ludicrous  and,  to 
me,  rather  unpleasant  incident.  Parties  of  our 
cavalry  every  now  and  then  straggled  past  us,  to  the 
great  annoyance  of  the  infantry,  who  had  much  dif- 
ficulty in  getting  out  of  their  way.  This  irritated 
me  so  much  that  I  was  not  very  choice  in  the  lan- 
guage that  I  applied  to  them.  At  last,  one  party, 
rather  more  numerous  than  their  predecessors, 
passed  by  me,  crowding  the  men  off  the  side  of  the 
road,  and  breaking  into  the  imperfect  organization 
which  the  darkness  oiily  permitted.  I  called  to  this 
party  to  halt,  and  ordered  the  infantry  to  stop  their 
further  progress,  threatening  to  have  them  taken 
from  their  horses,  if  not  well  trampled  besides,  by 
my  men,  as  a  punishment  for  their  reckless  behavior. 
I  was  very  angry,  and  hardly  know  what  expletives 
I  used,  when  one  of  the  party  called  out,  "This  is 
General  Jackson  and  his  staff,  sir."  I  made  the 
best  apologies  I  could,  and  frankly  told  General 
Jackson  he  was  out  of  place,  that  I  was  too  far  to 
the  front  myself;  we  were  near  the  leading  regi- 
ment, and  we  had  better  halt  and  allow  a  brigade  or 
two  to  pass  before  he  ventured  further.  To  this  he 
willingly  cojisented,  and  we  remained  together  until 
the  troops  were  halted,  at  daybreak. 

At   the  ])attle   of  Fredericksbur<r   Jackson    ;iir:nn 


WINTER    QUARTERS.  525 

unnecessarily  exposed  himself.  The  morning  of  the 
second  day,  when  the  contending  armies  were  con- 
fronting each  other,  he  rode  with  me  along  the  front 
line  from  Taylor's  quarters  towards  our  right,  to 
verify  the  position  of  my  division.  "We  rode 
hetween  the  line  of  hattle  and  the  line  of  pickets, 
and  while  the  practice  of  firing  from  the  picket  line 
had  heen  to  a  great  extent  abandoned,  the  fact, 
which  was  quite  plainly  manifest,  that  our  party 
contained  at  least  one  general  officer  afforded  a 
great  temptation  to  sharpshooters  to  pick  him  ofl", 
and,  in  fact,  it  proved  too  great  to  be  resisted,  for  a 
scattering  fire  was  kept  upon  us,  the  balls  passing 
uncomfortably  near  our  heads.  However,  no  one 
was  hurt. 

The  winter  of  1862  aff'orded  Jackson  more  rest 
and  quiet  than  any  other  period  of  his  military 
career.  His  corps  occupied  the  country  near  tlu3 
south  bank  of  the  Rappahannock,  from  the  neigh- 
borhood of  Fredericksburg  to  the  town  of  Port 
Royal.  Intermediate  between  these  places  is  Moss 
Neck,  one  of  the  seats  of  the  ancient  Virginia 
family  of  Corbiii.  This  old  and  handsome  resi- 
dence was  oft'ered  to  Jackson  for  his  headquarters. 
He  was  induced  to  visit  it,  and  was  received  by  the 
ladies  of  the  family  with  their  accustomed  hospi- 
tality and  with  those  evidences  of  admiration  for 
his  services  which  were  accorded  him  wlicrever  he 
went,  coupled  with  an  urgent  invitation  that  he 
would  establish  himself  there  for  the  winter.  On 
leaving  the  house,  the  courier  who  held  his  horse 
modestly  inquired  how  he  liked  the  establishment, 
and  if  he  would  not  consent  to  occupy  it.     "Yes," 


526      LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J,  JACKSON. 

said  Jackson,  "  I  think  I  will  select  this  place  for 
my  headquarters."  "I  am  very  much  pleased," 
was  the  reply  of  the  courier ;  "  I  shall  feel  honored 
that  you  do  so.  I  am  Mr.  Corbin,  the  owner  of  the 
property." 

I  mention  this  circumstance  to  show  the  character 
of  the  material  of  which  the  Southern  soldiery  was 
composed.  The  wealth,  the  refinement,  the  learning 
and  the  best  blood  were  in  the  army,  and  much  or 
most  of  it  in  the  ranks.  Our  men  were  born  to 
command,  and  knew  how  to  obey. 

At  Moss  Neck  Jackson  declined  to  occupy  the 
mansion,  but  modestly  contented  himself  with  an 
office  on  the  lawn.  There  he  received  a  number  of 
visitors,  attracted  by  his  reputation.  Among  them, 
I  believe,  the  present  Lord  Wolseley.  His  recep- 
tion of  them  and  his  general  officers  was  marked  by 
a  modest  but  genuine  politeness. 

In  the  early  spring  of  1868  I  was  ordered  to  the 
Department  of  South  Carolina,  Georgia  and  Florida, 
and  my  connection  with  General  Jackson  ceased.  I 
never  saw  him  afterwards,  as  he  died  two  months 
later. 


'/^^.^^^^^i.i^il-^^;^:^-v:^ 


PERSOiq^AL   RECOLLECTIONS 


"STONEWALL'  JACKSON. 

By  Brigadier-General  Bradley  T.  Johnson. 

(Commanding  Maryland  Line  under  GeneralJackson.) 

I  CAN  add  nothing  to  the  grand  record  of  achieve- 
ments made  by  General  Jackson's  biographers,  but 
I  am  glad  to  be  asked  to  light  a  farthing  rushlight 
that  may  fairly  illuminate  some  quaint  mark  of 
characteristic  which  has  escaped  the  glare  of  general 
observation. 

I  must  excuse  myself  in  advance  for  the  predom- 
inance of  the  personal  pronoun,  for  I  can  add  noth- 
ing about  Jackson  that  is  not  derived  from  personal 
knowledge. 

I  first  knew  him  in  May,  1861.  I  had  a  company 
at  Frederick,  Md.,  and  went  to  Harper's  Ferry  to 
see  what  arrangements  I  could  make  about  get- 
ting myself  and  my  men  taken  into  the  service  of 
the  Confederacy. 

I  went  at  once  to  headquarters  at  Barbour's  house, 
and  asked  to  see  Colonel  Jackson.'  Colonel  Angus 
McDonald  came  out  to  find  out  my  business,  and 
without  delay  took  me  in  to  Colonel  Jackson's  room. 
I  explained  my  business,  that  I  had  one  company  of 
which  I  was  captain,  and  that  I  had  no  doubt  of 
soon    getting  a  regiment  if  I   had    a   point  where 


528  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

I  could  rendezvous  and  feed  them,  and  that  the 
Point  of  Rocks  on  the  Virginia  side  was  the  best 
point  for  that  operation. 

Colonel  Jackson  said  to  Colonel  Marshall  McDon- 
ald, "  Give  Captain  Johnson  an  order  to  report  to 
Captain  Ashby,  at  the  Point  of  Rocks."  And  that 
was  the  way  I  got  into  the  Confederate  army. 

Colonel  Angus  McDonald  then  examined  me  at 
length  about  the  movements  of  the  Federals  at  Cham- 
bersburg,  some  forty  miles  north  of  Frederick,  and 
whose  movements,  in  fact,  were  the  incentive  to  my 
movement  to  Virginia.  He  wanted  me  to  establish 
a  chain  of  communication  from  farm  house  to  farm 
house  from  Chambersburg  to  Frederick,  whereby 
word  could  be  passed  to  me  as  to  what  was  going  on 
in  the  Federal  camps. 

I  thought  the  scheme  an  utterly  wild  one,  but 
Colonel  Jackson  sat  by  and  never  opened  his  lips,  in 
a  conversation  which  lasted  certainly  an  hour.  I 
was  not  impressed  by  him  or  his  silence.  I  thought 
that  was  the  way  soldiers  did,  and  that  it  was  part 
of  the  play.  But  I  went  about  my  business  without 
spending  much  time  in  cogitating  over  the  manners 
or  the  ways  of  my  commanding  officer. 

This  was  on  May  6th,  1861^  and  on  May  8th  I 
moved  to  Virginia.  While  I  was  at  Point  of  Rocks 
General  J.  R.  Trimble  came  to  me  and  wo  went  to- 
gether to  call  on  Colonel  Jackson.  Trimble  was  a 
West  Point  man,  an  old  soldier  and  a  man  of  abilit}'. 
He  afterwards  became  Mnjor-Gcneral  Trimble.  I 
was  as  ignorant  of  military  affairs,  tactics  or  etiquette 
as  the  simplest  country  boy  from  the  mountains.  But 
I  had  too  mucli  respect  for  authority  to  presume  to 


"  WE  NEVER  TELL  THAT."  529 

ask  curious  questions  of  my  superiors.  Trimble  had 
no  sucli  reticence.  He  was  as  inquisitive  as  could 
be  and  he  carried  Jackson  all  over  the  hills  and 
valleys,  rivers  and  mountains  of  the  neighborhood, 
discussing  their  relative  value  for  defence. 

Colonel  Jackson  sat  perfectly  silent  and  erect 
during  all  this  overflow  of  talk,  and  never  made  a 
sign  of  approval,  disapproval  or  anything  else. 
Trimble  had  been  an  engineer  on  the  Baltimore 
and  Ohio  Railroad  and  knew  what  he  was  talking 
about,  and  his  conversation  was  very  interesting 
and  instructive  to  me.  At  last  he  said,  as  the  point 
and  consequence  of  his  dissertation  on  the  defensive 
lines  of  Harper's  Ferry,  "  How  many  men  have  you 
here  present  for  duty?"  Jackson  said,  without  a 
modulation  of  his  voice,  as  if  he  w^ere  answering 
the  most  commonplace  instead  of  the  most  astound- 
ing question  ever  put  to  a  commanding  officer  by 
an  outsider,  "We  never  tell  that!"  That  was  all. 
It  was  not  as  deep  as  a  well  nor  as  wide  as  a  barn- 
door but  it  was  sufficient,  and  the  conversation 
stopped  there  and  we  left. 

General  Jackson  had,  when  he  pleased,  as  much 
tact  as  the  most  adroit  diplomatist.  In  September, 
1862,  happening  to  be  in  Richmond,  Mr.  Seddon, 
the  Secretary  of  War,  asked  me  to  escort  to  the 
army,  then  around  and  north  of  Winchester,  three 
English  gentlemen  of  consequence,  who  had  brought 
letters  of  introduction  to  President  Davis,  General 
Lee  and  the  Confederate  government.  The  govern- 
ment desired  to  show  them  some  particular  atten- 
tion, and  therefore  I  was  requested  to  take  them  up 
to  General  Lee's  headquarters,  which  I  did.  They 
34 


530  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

were  Mr.  Lawley,  correspondent  of  the  London 
Times,  Mr.  Vizatelli,  correspondent  of  the  Illustrated 
News,  and  Major  Garnet  Wolseley,  on  furlough 
from  his  regiment  in  Canada. 

He  has  now  become  Sir  Garnet  Wolseley,  Field 
Marshal  Lord  Wolseley  of  Cairo,  commander-in- 
chief  of  the  British  army. 

Mr.  Lawley  was  the  youngest  son  of  a  peer  and 
represented  the  greatest  paper  in  the  world.  Mr. 
Vizatelli  was  a  Bohemian  of  the  Bohemians.  Had 
been  everywhere,  with  all  sorts  of  people.  His  last 
adventure  had  been  with  Garibaldi  in  Sicily.  He 
was  lost  in  the  English  advance  to  Khartoum  to 
the  relief  of  "Chinese"  Gordon. 

I  took  my  party  to  Staunton,  to  Winchester,  to 
general  headquarters,  where  the  letters  to  General 
Lee  were  presented.  After  that  call  was  made  we 
all  rode  over  to  General  Jackson's,  to  whom  I  intro- 
duced them,  by  order  of  General  Lee. 

We  were  all  seated  in  front  of  General  Jackson's 
tent  and  he  took  up  the  conversation.  He  had  been 
to  England  and  had  been  greatly  impressed  with 
the  architecture  of  the  Cathedral  of  Durham  and 
with  the  history  of  the  Bishopric  of  Durham. 
The  Bishops  of  Durham  had  been  Palatines  from 
the  date  of  the  Conquest  and  exercised  semi-royal 
authority  over  their  bishopric,  which  was  a  bul- 
wark against  the  Kelts  on  the  one  side  and  the 
pirates  of  the  Noi'th  Sea  on  the  other. 

There  is  a  fair  liistory  of  the  Palatinate  of  Dur- 
ham in  Blackstonc  and  Coke,  but  I  can  hardly  think 
that  General  Jackson  derived  his  information  from 
those  two  fountains  of  the  law.     Anyhow  lie  exam- 


A  NEW  CHARACTER.  531 

ined  and  cross-examined  the  Englishmen  in  detail 
about  the  cathedral  and  the  close  and  the  rights  of 
the  bishop,  etc.,  etc.  He  gave  them  no  chance  to 
talk,  and  kept  them  busy  answering  questions,  for  he 
knew  more  about  the  Durham  questioti  than  they  did. 

As  we  four  rode  away  I  said,  "  Gentlemen,  you 
have  disclosed  Jackson  in  a  new  character  to  me, 
and  I've  been  carefully  observing  him  for  a  year  and 
a  half.  You  have  made  him  exhibit  finesse,  for  he 
did  all  the  talking  to  keep  you  from  asking  too 
curious  or  embarrassing  questions.  Ho  did  not  want 
to  say  anything,  so  ht  did  all  the  talking.  I  never 
saw  anything  like  it  in  him  before."  We  all  laughed 
and  asrreed  that  the  o-eneral  hud  been  too  much  for 
the  interviewers. 

I  never  saw  General  Jackson  laugh  or  deviate 
from  an  intense  earnestness  of  deportment  and 
demeanor,  I  would  call  it  "  seriousness."  But  occa- 
sionally his  eye  would  twinkle  for  a  flash,  and  you 
could  not  always  tell  what  he  was  thinking  about. 

One  evening  he  sent  for  me  to  come  to  his  quar- 
ters and  I  rode  over  to  Bunker  Hill  to  see  him.  He 
wanted  to  talk  to  me  about  my  promotion,  to  secure 
which  he  greatly  interested  himself,  and  said  I 
should  stay  there  all  night  and  in  the  morning  we 
would  lay  the  subject  before  General  Lee.  I  slipped 
out  after  this  very  dry  coriversation,  and  Hunter 
McGuire,  his  medical  director,  and  I  "sampled" 
some  very  new  and  very  fiery  apple-jack  which 
Hunter  had  hid  under  his  blankets  in  the  mess 
tent.  At  the  supper  tal)le — we  had  three  turkeys  for 
supper,  I  remember;  the  women  of  that  neighbor- 
hood lavished  good  things  to  eat  on  "their  Stone- 


532  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

wall"  for  he  was  "  theirs"' —  McGuire  aud  I,  moved 
and  seduced  by  the  spirit  of  mischief  and  possibly 
also  by  the  spirit  of  apple-jack,  started  a  learned 
discussion  on  the  discovery,  use  and  effects  of  alco- 
hol on  the  human  physiology,  its  effect  on  the 
heart  and  circulation,  and  on  the  brain  and  the 
nerves.  We  concluded  that  it  was  an  unmitigated 
evil  and  that  we  did  not  like  either  the  taste  or  the 
eflect  of  it.  Drinking,  we  concluded,  was  the  great 
curse  of  modern  civilization ;  we  had  the  grace  not  to 
pretend  that  we  did  not  drink  but  to  deplore  the  abuse 
and  extended  use  of  alcohol  and  its  bad  effects. 

So  far  the  discussion  had  been  confined  to  the 
two  young  braggarts,  who  were  showing  off  their 
knowledge  to  hide  their  offenses. 

The  general  sat  straight,  never  looked  to  the 
right  nor  to  the  left,  and  let  the  cockerels  crow  them- 
selves out.  Then  said  he,  "  I  like  the  taste  and  the 
effect  both,  that's  the  reason  I  never  touch  it."  To 
this  day  I  don't  know  Avhether  he  smelled  a  rat, 
from  the  odor  of  the  apple-jack  in  the  tent  or  the 
loquacity  of  the  disquisition  on  the  evil  of  drinking. 
But  he  shut  ns  up. 

The  next  morning  we  all  three  rode  over  to 
General  Lee's,  and  on  the  way  to  Winchester  after 
that  call,  at  McGuire's  instigation,  I  got  at  the  gen- 
eral to  have  his  photograph  taken,  on  the  ground 
that  it  would  gratify  so  many  people  with  so  little 
trouble  to  himself 

He  put  me  off  and  rather  pooh-poohed  the  notion, 
as  rather  weak  for  a  man  to  have  his  photograph 
taken.  However,  in  the  town  he  went  off  with 
McGuire,  and  I  went  about  my  business.    Returning 


AT  THE  photographer's.  533 

to  camp  in  the  afternoon,  we  fell  in  together  on  the 
Berryville  Pike. 

McGuire  said  to  me  aside,  "The  general  had  his 
photograph  taken,  sure  enough.  At  the  dinner 
table  my  little  sister  [a  girl  of  fourteen  or  there- 
abouts, I  think]  got  to  teasing  him  about  it  and  he 
agreed,  and  he  and  she  and  I  went  down  to  Rant- 
zahu's  and  had  it  taken.  He  had  his  hair  trimmed 
first,  however." 

Of  course  I  claimed  a  copy  from  the  general,  and 
he  said  I  should  have  one,  which  McGuire  afterward 
gave  me,  one  of  the  few  copies  from  this  original 
negative  at  Winchester.  It  is  the  portrait  frontis- 
piece to  this  volume.  I  like  the  one  taken  by  Minnis, 
of  Richmond,  the  photographer  who  went  to  Guiney's 
or  Hamilton's  in  the  spring  of  1863,  on  my  motion, 
to  get  his  photograph.  The  Winchester  one  was 
always  a  flat  one.  The  profile  view  of  Minnis' 
shows  him  to  the  best  advantage.  After  death  his 
face  and  profile  were  perfectly  handsome. 

All  that  was  thirty-three  years  ago  just  this  season, 
the  fall  of  1862.  But  three  hundred  3-ears  from 
now  the  people  of  Virginia  will  recall  the  grand 
figure,  the  close-shut  lips,  the  bright  eyes  shining 
beneath  the  low  visor,  and  in  all  tlic  world  those 
who  love  patriotism,  justice,  truth,  honor,  chivalry 
and  devotion  to  duty  will  turn  to  him  as  among  the 
noblest  and  highest  types  that  Virginia  has  ever 
given  to  humanity. 


November  1,  1895. 


V> 


GENERAL  JACKSON. 

By  Bkigadikr-General  James  H.  Lane. 

(Commanded  Brigade  Army  of  Northern  Virginia.) 

General  T.  J.  Jackson  and  I  entered  the  Virginia 
Military  Institute  tlie  same  year,  1851,  he  as  a  pro- 
fessor and  I  as  a  cadet.  That  quiet,  poHte  and 
dignified  new  professor,  twice  brevetted  for  gallantry 
in  the  Mexican  War,  soon  impressed  that  corps  of 
hiffh-toned  hut  mischievous  youuii:  Viro-inians  as 
being  a  man  of  intense  individualit}'  of  character. 
He  was  conscientious  and  fearless  in  the  discharge 
of  every  duty  and  strictly  just  in  all  his  intentions. 

In  his  class  room  and  at  artillery  drill  he  always, 
in  a  few  but  polite  words  accompanied  with  that 
well-known  military  salute,  turned  the  laugh  on  all 
cadets  who  ventured  a  joke  at  his  expense,  and  no 
excuses  were  over  rendered  for  the  reports  subse- 
quently read  at  parade,  the  result  of  their  youthful 
indiscretion. 

While  in  camp  I  was  visited  by  my  sister,  and 
during  her  stay  at  the  Rockbridge  Alum  Professor 
Jackson  was  exceedingly  polite  and  deferential. 
She  was  deeply  impressed  by  his  delicate  and  gentle- 
manly attention  and  kindness  to  her — a  young  girl 
just  from  school — and  it  was  through  her  that  I  first 
learned  to  honor  the  'then  uidcnown  hero  for  his 
chivalrous  bearing  in  the  presence  of  women. 


ON  THE  BATTLE-FIELD.  535 

The  outbreak  of  hostilities  brought  to  this  modest 
professor  his  opportunity  to  show  the  world  that  he 
was  a  very  great  soldier — that  he  possessed  an 
instinctive  genius  for  war  of  an  amazing  brilliancy 
that  could  not  long  be  concealed.  His  conclusions, 
and  their  tremendous  results  when  reduced  to 
practice,  never  appeared  to  be  reached  through 
ordinary  intellectual  processes,  but  by  instantaneous 
inspiration. 

He  knew  that  his  ragged  and  often  starving  soldiers 
idolized  him  and  had  most  implicit  confidence  in 
him,  and  yet  he  never  courted  public  demonstrations 
of  any  kind.  However,  his  presence  on  the  march 
and  on  the  battle-field  always  created  the  greatest 
enthusiasm.  I  often  noticed  that  when  cheered  on 
the  march  he  would  simply  lift  his  cap  in  recognition 
of  the  shout  and  immediately  spur  his  Old  Sorrel  to 
get  by  as  soon  as  possible.  At  Cedar  Run,  when  he 
appeared  in  my  front  after  we  had  driven  the  enemy, 
my  men  greeted  him  with  one  of  their  wild  rebel 
yells,  and  when  it  had  subsided  many  called  out: 
"Let  General  Jackson  tell  us  what  he  wishes  done 
and  we  will  do  it."  In  recognition  of  such  great 
enthusiasm  on  the  battle-field  he  simply  bared  his 
head  and  said  not  a  word. 

This  great  soldier  was  pure  and  clean  as  ever  man 
was ;  he  was  both  a  lover  and  doer  of  truth.  Of  the 
slightest  equivocation  or  of  any  conscious  indirec- 
tion he  was  absolutely  incapable.  In  this  respect 
he  measured  others  by  his  own  standard  and,  as  1 
well  know,  he  expected  every  man,  and  more 
especially  every  officer,  to  perform  his  whole  duty 
without  evasion  or  neglect  or  failure. 


536  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

When  ill  camp  at  Bunker  Hill,  after  the  battle  of 
Sharpsburg,  where  the  gallant  Branch  was  killed,  I, 
as  colonel  commanding  the  brigade,  was  directed  by 
General  A.  P.  Hill  to  hold  my  command  in  readiness, 
with  three  days'  rations,  for  detached  service,  and  to 
report  to  General  Jackson  for  further  orders.     That 
was  all  the  information  that  Hill  could  give  me.     I 
had  been  in  Jackson's  corps  since  the  battles  around 
Richmond,  and  had  been  very  derelict  in  not  pay- 
ing my  respects  to  my  old  professor.     As  I  rode  to 
his  headquarters  I  wondered  if  he  would  recognize 
me.     I  certainly  expected  to  receive  his  orders  in  a 
few  terse  sentences  and  to  be  promptly  dismissed 
with  a  military  salute.     He  knew  me  as  soon  as  I 
entered  his  tent,  though  we  had  not  met  for  years. 
He  rose  quickly,  with  a  smile  on  his  face,  took  my 
hand  in  both  of  his  in  the  warmest  manner,  expressed 
his  pleasure  at  seeing  me,  chided  me  for  not  having 
been  to  see  him  and  bade  me  be  seated.     His  kind 
words,  the  tones  of  his  voice,  his  familiarly  calling 
me  Lane,  whereas  it  had  always  been  Mr.  Lane  at 
the  Institute,  put  me  completely  at  my  ease.     Then, 
for  the  first  time,  I  began  to  love  that  reserved  man 
whom  I  had  always  honored  and  respected  as  my  pro- 
fessor, and  whom  I  greatly  admired  as  my  general. 
After  a  very  pleasant  and  somewhat  protracted 
conversation,  he  ordered  me  to  move  at  once,  and  as 
rapidly  as  possible,  to  Nortli  Mountain  Depot,  tear 
up  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Tiailroad,  and  put  myself 
in    communication   with    General    Hampton,   who 
would  cover  my  operations.     The  cavalry  outposts 
then  did  not  extend  bej'ond  that  point.     While  we 
were  there  burning  the  ties,  bending  the  rails  and 


lane's  brigade.  537 

tying  "  iron  cravats "'  around  some  of  the  trees, 
General  Jackson  sent  a  member  of  liis  staff  to  see 
Low  we  were  progressing.  That  night  as  I,  my 
staff,  and  otlier  young  officers  of  my  command  were 
about  to  attend  an  entertainment  given  us  by  some 
of  the  patriotic  ladies  of  Iledgesville,  I  received 
orders  to  move  at  once  and  quickly  to  Martinsburg, 
as  there  had  been  heavy  skirmishing  near  Kerneys- 
ville.  i^ext  morning  when  I  reported  to  General 
Jackson  he  received  me  in  the  same  cordial,  warm- 
hearted manner,  complimented  me  on  the  thorough- 
ness of  my  work,  told  me  that  he  had  recommended 
me  for  promotion  to  take  permanent  charge  of 
Branch's  brigade,  and  that  as  I  was  the  only  person 
recommended  for  the  position  through  military 
channels,  I  would  be  appointed  in  spite  of  the  two 
aspirants  who  were  trying  to  bring  political  influ- 
ence to  bear  in  Richmond  in  their  behalf.  When  I 
rose  to  go  he  took  my  hand  in  both  of  his,  looked 
me  steadily  in  the  eye,  and,  in  words  and  tones  of 
friendly  warmth  which  can  never  be  forgotten,  again 
expressed  his  confidence  in  my  promotion,  and  bade 
me  good-bye,  with  a  "  God  bless  you.  Lane." 

When  I  had  reported  back  to  General  Ilill  and 
was  about  to  begin  to  destroy  the  railroad  near  Ker- 
neysville,  a  courier  rode  up  with  orders  from  General 
Jackson  "  that  Lane's  brigade  be  sent  back  to 
Bunker  Hill  to  select  a  new  camp  and  rest,  as  it  had 
done  its  share  of  the  work.  '  This  is  one  of  the 
many  instances  to  show  that  Jackson,  while  watch- 
ing the  enemy  and  planning  great  battles,  was  never 
forgetful  of  details,  and  that  he  always  looked  after 
the  comfort  of  his  men  to  the  best  of  his  ability. 


538  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

My  last  social  chat  with  General  Jackson  was  on 
Hamilton's  Heights,  near  Fredericksburg.  When  I 
remarked  that  our  being  ordered  up  from  Moss 
Neck  was  a  great  surprise  to  me,  he  asked  "Why 
so?"  And  when  I  laughingly  told  him  it  was 
because  he  had  Mrs.  Jackson  with  him,  and  I 
thoue-ht  him  too  firallant  a  soldier  to  allow  his  wife 
•  to  be  at  the  front  in  the  hour  of  danger,  he  replied, 
with  a  smile:  "Ah,  Lane,  you  must  not  trust 
always  to  appearances."  Little  did  I  dream  then 
that  he  was  to  fall  so  soon  before  the  unerring  rifles 
of  my  brave  men. 

After  that  brilliant  flank  movement  at  Chancellors- 
ville  my  brigade  was  formed  across  the  plank  road 
for  a  night  attack.  "  Push  right  ahead,  Lane ! "  was 
General  Jackson's  last  order.  He  rode  directly  to 
the  front,  and  I  to  the  right  to  put  my  line  in 
motion.  Suddenly  there  was  a  skirmish  fire  in  my 
front,  from  right  to  left;  tlien  the  sound  of  horse- 
men; next,  the  cry  of  cavalry,  and  then  those 
deadly  volleys  from  the  Eighteenth  North  Carolina. 
The  gallant  Pender,  whose  line  had  not  been  formed, 
dashed  through  the  dark  woods  on  the  right  of  the 
road,  calling  for  "  Lane,"  to  whom  he  made  the  sad 
announcement  that  our  illustrious  leader  and  Gen- 
eral A.  P.  Hill  had  been  wounded,  through  a  misap- 
preherision  by  their  own  devoted  followers,  and 
advised  me  not  to  advance. 

There  are  periods  in  every  man's  life  when  all  the 
concentrated  sorrow  and  bitterness  of  years  seem 
gathered  in  one  short  day  or  night.  Sueli  was 
the  case  with  myself,  as  I  lay  under  an  oak  the 
second   night,   black    with    smut    and    smoke,    and 


JACKSON'S  DEATH.  539 

reckoned  tlie  frightful  cost  of  that  complete  victory, 
and  reflected  that  in  less  than  thirty-six  hours  one- 
third  of  my  command  had  been  swept  away ;  one 
field  officer  only  left  for  duty  out  of  the  thirteen 
carried  into  action  —  the  rest  all  killed  or  wounded, 
and  most  of  them  my  warmest  friends;  my  boy 
brother,  who  had  been  on  my  staff,  lay  dead  on  the 
field,  and  Stonewall  Jackson,  my  old  professor, 
whom  I,  as  a  boy,  had  honored  and  respected,  and 
whom,  as  my  general,  I  then  loved,  was  lying 
wounded,  and  probably  dying,  shot  by  my  own 
gallant  brigade,  those  brave  North  Carolina  veterans, 
whom  I  had  so  often  heard  wildly  cheering  him  as 
he  appeared  on  many  a  hard-fought  battle-field. 

Jackson  died,  but  his  memory  lived  in  the  hearts 
of  his  soldiers,  and  on  many  a  subsequent  hard- 
fought  field  I  heard  them  exclaim  :  "  Oh,  for  another 
Jackson ! " 


4.^^^  (v^Tze^..;-^  - 


Extract  from  the  "  War  of  the  Rebellion,"  Series 
I,  Vol.  XIX,    Part  II,  page  689 : 

"  Headquakters  Army  of   Northern  Virginia. 

October  30th,  18G2. 

"Major-General  Gustavus  W.  Smith,  Command- 
ing, etc.,  Richmond,  Va.: 

"General, —  I  have  received  your  letter  of  the 
26th  ultimo.  When  I  applied  for  Brigadier-General 
Pettigrew  I  did  not  know  that  he  was  assigned  to 


540  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

the  command  of  a  brigade.  I  do  not  desire  that  he 
shall  be  disturbed.  I  think  it  better  that  General 
(T.  L.)  Clingman  should  remain  in  North  Carolina, 
where  he  could  probably  be  of  more  service  than 
here.  Under  the  circumstances  I  consider  it  just  and 
proper  that  the  colonel^^  of  Brancli's  brigade,  loho  has 
been  recommended  for  j^romotion,  be  assigned  to  the 

command 

"iMost  respectfully  and  truly  yours, 

"  R.  E.  Lee,  General." 


*  General  Lane  was  colonel  of  Branch's  brigade  referred  to  above. 


GENEUAL   THOMAS   J.    JACKSON. 


(From  a  portrait 


till'  possession  of  Mrs.  Jackson,  coiisidereil 
the  best  extant.) 


BATTLE  OF  CHANCELLORSVILLE,  VA. 

A    TRIBUTE    TO 

GENERAL  JACKSON. 

By  Augustus  Choate  Hamlin. 

(Late  Lieutenant-Colonel  United  Stat«s  Army.) 

During  the  past  live  years  earnest  attempts  have 
been  made  to  decipher  the  varied  and  the  vague 
accounts  of  the  events  occurring  at  the  battle  of 
Chancellorsville  on  the  first  day,  or  May  2d,  1863. 
On  one  of  the  three  personal  visits  to  the  battle-field 
General  Lane  and  Colonel  W.  H.  Palmer,  Colonel 
Blackford,  Captain  Randolph  Barton  and  others  of 
the  Confederate  army,  General  Pennock  Huey,  Gen- 
eral J.  T.  Locknian,  Captain  Herbert  Dilger  of  the 
Federal  army,  all  of  whom  had  been  engaged  in  the 
battle,  accompanied  me,  and  it  is  to  them  that  the 
clear  solution  of  many  of  the  obscure  and  ambigu- 
ous accounts  have  been  made  possible,  and  to  the 
proper  and  just  credit  of  either  army. 

At  half  past  five  p.  m..  May  2d,  1863,  Jackson  and 
his  army,  after  passing  in  broad  daylight  directly  in 
front  of  the  Federal  army  entrenched  on  the  plateau 
of  Chancellorsville,  had  successfully  reached  its 
right  flank  and  rear,  and  with  two  and  three  lines  of 
battle  concealed  in  the  dense  woods,  and  with  a  front 
of  two  miles  in  length,  was  about  to  overwhelm  the 
almost  unsuspecting  foe.     Jackson's  objective  point 


A  FATAL  DELAY.  543 

was  the  open  space  in  rear  of  the  Chancellor  Ilonsc, 
the  vital  center  of  the  Federal  position,  and  but 
three  miles  distant.  Sickles  had  taken  twenty 
thousand  men  from  the  right  center  of  the  fortified 
line  and  had  gone  southward,  past  the  Welford 
furnace,  and  at  a  distance  of  two  miles  was  vainly 
seeking  the  whereabouts  of  Jackson  and  his  men 
who  had  been  seen  in  the  vicinity  in  the  early  morn- 
ing, and  at  this  moment  there  was  absolutely  no 
obstacle  in  Jackson's  path  but  the  nine  thousand 
men  of  the  Eleventh  Corps  extended  on  a  line  of 
over  a  mile  in  length  and  nearly  all  facing  south 
and  unprepared  for  a  vigorous  attack  on  their  right 
flank  and  rear. 

Jackson's  first  orders  were  to  advance  without 
halting  and  seize  the  position  at  the  Doudal  farm, 
and  it  is  clearly  evident,  that  if  his  commands  had 
been  implicitly  obeyed,  the  two  divisions  of  Devens 
and  Schurz  would  have  been  destroyed  at  the  first 
blow.  But  the  error  of  a  subordinate  kept  seventeen 
regiments  on  Jackson's  extreme  right  from  march- 
ing at  the  same  time  up  and  along  tlie  plank  road 
and  enveloping  the  left  of  the  Eleventh  Corps.  For 
forty  to  sixty  minutes  this  great  force  of  seventeen 
regiments  was  detained,  and  the  delay  was  fatal.  In 
half  an  hour  Devens's  division  of  nearl}-  four  thou- 
sand men,  attacked  in  flank  and  rear,  was  crushed; 
in  twenty  minutes  more  Schurz's  division  was  forced 
back  to  Bushbeck's  line  across  the  Doudal  farm.  At 
seven  p.  m.  the  battered  wrecks  of  the  Federal  corps 
were  driven  from  the  Bushbeck  line  into  the  voods, 
and  the  way  to  the  White  House  was  open  to  the 
victorious  Confederates.    For  an  hour  and  a  half  the 


544  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TflOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

nine  thousand  men  of  the  Eleventh  Corps,  attacked 
in  flank  and  in  rear,  without  any  assistance  from  the 
other  corps,  had  endeavored  to  stay  the  impetuous 
march  of  Jackson's  determined  battalions,  but  had 
been  hurled  back  into  the  forest  with  a  loss  of  eight 
or  nine  guns,  fifteen  hundred  killed  and  wounded 
men  and  about  a  thousand  prisoners.  The  Federal 
army  was  now  in  extreme  peril,  and  the  single  ave- 
nue to  the  important  point  near  the  White  House 
was  only  about  two  thousand  yards  distant,  and  no 
force  to  oppose  the  advancing  Confederates  except 
the  twelve  or  fifteen  hundred  men  of  Sclmrz's  retreat- 
ing upon  it.  Sickles  and  his  twenty  thousand  men 
were  still  far  below  in  the  depths  of  the  forest  and 
as  yet  unconscious  of  the  fact  that  Jackson's  army 
had  been  pulverizing  the  Eleventh  Corps  in  his  rear 
for  an  hour  and  a  half,  and  that  his  chances  of 
escape  were  exceedingly  small ;  in  fact,  Hooker  did 
not  learn  of  Jackson's  attack  until  almost  half  past 
six  in  the  evening,  as  he  heard  none  of  the  sounds 
of  the  battle  and  no  couriers  came  to  him. 

When  Jackson's  men  drove  the  Federals  into  the 
woods,  at  seven  o'clock  in  the  evening,  there  seemed 
to  be  no  escape  for  the  Federal  army  from  a  serious,  if 
not  a  fatal,  disaster,  but  at  this  moment  Generals  Cols- 
ton and  Rodes,  who  had  commanded  the  two  front 
lines  of  battle,  urged  Jackson  to  call  a  halt  to  allow 
some  of  their  tired  and  broken  battalions  to  reform. 
Jackson  chafed  at  the  delay  iind  reluctanth'  gave 
the  order  to  halt  and  reform  the  broken  ]ini-ts  of  the 
two  divisions;  in  the  meantime,  as  he  had  nine 
unbroken  brigades  close  at  hand,  he  ordered  Hill, 
with  his  powerful  and  fresh  division,  to  push  up  the 


STAMPEDE  OF  ARTILLERY.  545 

road,  cover  the  front  and  prepare  for  further  attack. 
Nearly  all  of  Jackson's  army  obeyed  the  order  to 
halt,  and  halted  at  or  near  the  Dondal  Tavern,  hut 
desultory  groups,  numbering  from  one  to  two  thou- 
sand men,  not  heeding  or  hearing  the  order  to  halt, 
drifted  slowly  half  a  mile  up  the  road  to  the  log 
works  of  Williams'  division  of  the  Twelfth  Corps, 
where  they  captured  then,  or  shortly  after,  two  hun- 
dred or  more  of  the  Federal  soldiers  of  the  Twelfth 
Corps  returning  through  the  woods  in  search  of 
their  former  positions,  and  they  then  returned  with 
their  prisoners  to  their  respective  regiments,  reform- 
ing at  or  near  the  Doudal  House.  About  two  hun- 
dred more  foragers  from  Doles's  brigade,  in  search 
of  adventure  or  booty,  went  forward  in  the  woods 
as  far  as  Hazel  Grove,  about  a  mile  south  of  the 
plank  road,  where  they  stampeded  the  Federal  trains 
and  artillery  resting  along  the  entrance  to  Hazel 
Grove  field,  and  soon  frightened  Pleasanton  out  of 
his  wits,  but  took  to  their  heels  as  soon  as  the  ter- 
rific artillery  fire  from  the  twenty-two  Federal  can- 
non permitted  them  to  rise  from  the  cover  they 
found  in  the  deserted  Third  Corps  redoubts. 

The  battle  Pleasanton  describes  belongs  to  the 
pages  of  Baron  Munchausen. 

General  A.  P.  Hill  ordered  his  division  forward,  and 
General  James  H.  Lane  took  the  lead  with  his  brigade 
of  jN'orth  Carolinians,  preceded  by  a  battery  of  three 
guns.  The  battery,  arriving  at  the  entrance  of  the 
Hazel  Grove  road,  unlimbered  and  tested  the  Fed- 
eral line,  supposed  to  be  about  twelve  hundred 
yards  distant  and  obscured  in  the  evening  haze. 
The  first  shot  was  fired  at  eight  p.  M.,  and  found  the 
35 


546  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

Federal  artillery  ready  for  action,  and  who  promptly 
replied  with  a  rapid  lire  from  eight  or  ten  guns, 
which  raked  Lane's  men,  then  coming  up  the  plank 
road  in  close  column.  The  fire  was  so  severe  that 
Lane  ordered  his  men  to  deflect  to  the  left  of  tlie 
road  and  in  the  woods,  out  of  the  direct  range  of 
the  enemy's  guns. 

The  artillery  duel  continued  for  about  fifteen 
minutes,  and  then  Hill  ordered  Lane  to  deploy  his 
men  in  line  of  battle  and  prepare  for  a  night  attack. 
The  Thirty-third  North  Carolina  Regiment  was 
thrown  out  as  a  line  of  skirmishers  and  deployed 
near  Van  Wert's  cabin,  about  two  hundred  and  fifty 
or  three  hundred  yards  in  front  of  the  picket  guns 
or  the  log  works  of  the  Twelfth  Corps.  On  the 
right  of  the  road,  and  in  front  of  the  abatis  of  these 
abandoned  works.  Lane  placed  a  line  of  battle,  the 
Thirty-seventh  and  the  Seventh,  while  on  the  left  of 
the  road  the  Eighteenth  and  Twenty-eighth  were 
drawn  up,  a  little  in  advance  of  the  line  on  the 
right  of  the  road,  and  as  soon  as  this  was  accom- 
plished Lane  rode  back  to  the  road  for  his  final 
orders,  as  he  understood  Hill  that  he  was  to  prepare 
for  action.  When  Lane  reached  the  road  it  was  too 
dark  to  distinguish  persons,  and  he  called  out  for 
General  Hill,  but  the  reply  he  got  came  from  Gen- 
eral Jackson,  who  recognized  the  voice  of  his  old 
pupil  and  called  him  to  his  side.  Pie  found  Jackson 
at  or  near  the  meeting  of  the  Hazel  Grove  and  the 
Bullock  road  and  in  rear  of  the  three  guns  placed 
on  picket.  Jackson  was  at  that  time  alone;  neitlier 
Hill  nor  any  of  his  staff'  was  visible. 

Lane  reported  for  final  orders,  and  Jackson,  rais- 


CAPTURE  OF  COLONEL  SMITH.  547 

ing  his  arm  in  the  direction  of  the  enemy,  exclaimed 
briefly,    "Tush   right   ahead,   Lane,  right   ahead!" 
Lane  knew  his  old  instructor  too  well  to  ask  for  any 
further  instructions,  and  at  once  rode  along  his  line 
to  prepare  for  the  advance,  and  he  had  reached  the 
extreme  right  of  his  position  and  was  about  to  give 
the  signal  when  Lieutenant-Colonel  Hill,  one  of  his 
bravest  officers,  came  to  him  and  begged  him  not  to 
give  the  order  until  he  could  ascertain  what  forces 
were  moving  on  liis  right  and  rear,  whether  they 
belonged  to  the  army  of  Lee  or  Hooker.     At  this 
time  distinct  sounds  of  troops  and  trains  could  be 
heard  in  the  woods,  both  in  front  and  on  the  right 
flank,   which    was    totally    unprotected.     In    fact, 
neither  Jackson,  Hill  nor  Lane  had  heard  of  the 
conflict  at  Hazel  Grove,  as  described  by  Pleasanton 
and  Sickles,  and  they  were  not  aware  of  any  danger 
impending  from  that  quarter.    Lane  was  so  ignorant 
of  the  presence  of  the  enemy  in  that  direction  that 
he  had  not  placed  a  single  picket  on  the  right  of  the 
log  works,  behind  which  his  men  were  then  stand- 
ing, nor  on  the  Hazel  Grove  road;  neither  was  he 
aware  of  the  cannon   and  caissons   and  wagons  of 
the  Third  Corps,  left  in  that  road  in  the  stampede 
caused  by  the  Georgia  foragers,  an  hour  or  more 
j)reviously. 

While  Lane  and  Hill  were  discussing  the  causes  of 
the  sounds  on  their  right,  {.  Federal  officer  came  up 
along  the  log  works,  waving  a  handkerchief  and 
demanding  to  know  what  troops  were  in  front  of 
him.  Th.e  officer  proved  to  be  Colonel  Smith  of 
the  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-eighth  Pennsylvania 
Regiment,  which  had  come  up  from  the  expedition 


548      LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

towards  the  Furnace,  and  were  trying  to  find  their 
baggage  and  former  place  of  the  regiment  in  the 
log  works;  he  was  promptly  seized  by  some  of  the 
men  of  the  Seventh  North  Carolina  and  brought 
before  General  Lane,  who  then  ordered  Colonel  Hill 
to  send  a  squad  of  soldiers  and  ascertain  how  much 
of  a  force  was  threatening  their  right  flank  and  con- 
cealed by  the  wood  and  darkness  of  the  night. 
Lieutenant  Emack,  of  the  Seventh  North  Carolina, 
was  detailed  with  four  men  to  reconnoitre  the  wood 
from  which  Colonel  Smith  had  emerged.  About 
this  time  a  Federal  oificer  [proljabl}-  General  Kneip] 
rode  up  in  the  woods  in  front  and  called  for  General 
Williams  of  the  Twelfth  Corps.  One  of  the  skir- 
mishers of  the  Thirty-third  North  Carolina  fired  at 
the  Federal  officer,  and  the  fire  was  returned  by  the 
Federal  pickets  not  far  distant,  and  a  part  of  the 
Seventli  North  Carolina  fired  a  volley  in  the  direction 
of  the  Federal  officer  and  into  the  rear  of  a  portion 
of  the  skirmish  line  of  the  Thirty-third  North  Car- 
olina. The  picket  fire  became  more  animated  and 
rolled  along  both  picket  lines  to  the  northward,  past 
the  plank  road,  and  was  increased  by  volleys  from 
one  of  the  Federal  regiments  stationed  near  the 
plank  road.  This  desultory  firing  occurred  shortly 
after  nine  p.  m.,  and  is  the  cause  of  the  accident  to 
General  Jackson.  When  Lane  left  Jackson  he  was 
in  the  road  near  where  the  Bullock  road  comes  into 
the  plank  road,  and  he  was  alone,  and  such  was  the 
distribution  of  his  troops  at  this  moment  that  a 
Federal  scouting  party  could  have  come  up  the 
Hazel  Grove  road  and  seized  him  as  prisoner  of  war. 
Even  as  late  as  nine  p.  m.  it  was  totally  unguarded. 


MAP  OF  BATTLE  OF  CHANCELLORSVILLE. 


549 


r  5  S  a. 


550  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

and  Major  Jed  Hotehkiss,  of  Jackson's  staft",  rode 
down  the  road  to  the  Hazel  Grove  field  at  this  hour 
without  meeting  a  solitary  soldier  of  either  army, 
and,  in  fact,  he  did  not  know  that  Lane's  men  were 
deployed  between  him  and  Chancellor's,  perhaps 
a  hundred  yards  distant.  General  Hill  and  some  of 
his  staif  soon  joined  Jackson,  and  then  Jackson 
gave  to  Hill  his  orders  in  the  brief  sentence,  "Press 
them,  cut  them  off  from  the  United  States  Ford, 
Hill,  press  them!"  A.  P.  Hill  replied  that  none  of 
his  staff  were  familiar  with  the  country,  thereupon 
Jackson  turned  to  Boswell,  who  was  well  acquainted 
with  all  roads  and  paths,  and  ordered  him  to  report 
to  Hill.  Soon  after  the  party  turned  to  the  left  to 
the  space  in  the  forest  where  the  Bullock  and 
Mountain  roads  came  into  the  plank  road,  and  were 
passing  up  the  Mountain  road  when  a  courier  from 
General  Stuart,  who  had  gone  to  Ely  Ford  with  his 
cavalry,  rode  up  to  Jackson  and  delivered  a  message. 
Jackson  ordered  the  courier  to  wait  for  a  repl}'. 
This  cavalryman,  named  Dav  Kyle,  was  born  at  the 
AVhite  House,  in  rear  of  Chancellorsville,  and  was 
perfectly  acquainted  with  every  path  and  road  on 
the  plateau  of  Chancellorsville,  and  it  is  to  him  that 
we  are  able  to  trace  every  footstep  from  this  time 
until  the  fatal  event. 

The  Mountain  road  is  an  old  road  which  comes 
out  of  the  ])lank  road  about  half  a  mile  from  Chan- 
cellorsville, and  runs  parallel  with  it,  and  north  of 
it,  sixty  to  eighty  yards  distant,  and  again  comes 
into  it,  together  with  the  Bullock  road,  opposite  the 
road  from  Hazel  Grove.  Although  long  out  f)f  use, 
it  is  still  distinctly  visible  to-day.     It  is  certain  that 


JACKSON  IN  DANGER.  551 

Jackson  and  his  party  passed  along  the  mountain 
path  and  not  up  the  plank  road,  past  the  guns 
placed  in  battery.  Furthermore,  the  two  officers  of 
the  Eighteenth  Nortli  Carolina  Regiment,  stationed 
on  the  plank  road,  have  declared  that  Jackson  did 
not  pass  by  them  but  turned  off  to  the  left  of  their 
rear  and  passed  out  of  view  in  the  forest.  Jackson 
was  well  aware  that  the  plank  road  was  swept  by 
the  tire  of  the  Federal  cannon  at  Fairview,  and  that 
the  batteries  were  ready  to  open  fire  at  the  first  sign 
of  a  movement  by  the  enemy.  Moreover,  there 
was  nothing  to  call  him  on  the  plank  road,  for  Fair- 
view  was  not  his  objective  point,  but  the  "White 
House,  and  the  path  that  he  was  upon  led  directly 
to  it. 

For  the  first  one  hundred  yards  the  Bullock  and 
Mountain  roads  are  blended  together,  and  up  this 
roadway,  about  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening,  the 
party  of  Confederate  officers  passed  along,  with 
their  chieftain  riding  in  advance.  About  one  hun- 
dred yards  from  the  entrance  of  the  pass  into  the 
plank  road  the  party  passed  quietly  through  the  ranks 
of  the  Eighteenth  North  Carolina  Regiment,  then 
drawn  up  in  line  of  battle,  extending  to  the  north 
for  some  distance,  and  waiting  for  the  signal  of 
advance  from  General  Lane.  They  passed  so 
quietly  through  the  Eighteenth  Regiment  that 
Major  Barry,  stationed  on  tlie  left  wing  of  the  regi- 
ment, did  not  notice  them,  and  was  not  informed  of 
their  passage.  They  continued  slowly  along  the 
Mountain  road  toward  the  Tliirty -third  ISTorth  Caro- 
lina Regiment,  then  drawn  up  in  a  strong  skirmish 
line  extending  across  the  plank  road  into  the  forest, 


552      LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

some  distance  north  of  it,  and  from  two  to  three 
hundred  yards  in  front  of  the  Eighteentli  North 
Carolina  Regiment.  They  passed  on  almost  to  the 
line  of  the  Thirty-third  North  Carolina  skirmishers 
and  halted.  Jackson  listened  for  a  moment  to  the 
sounds  coming  from  the  Federal  lines  —  the  ringing 
of  the  axes  in  building  the  fortifications,  the  words 
of  command  being  distinctly  audible  —  and  then 
turned  his  horse  in  silence  and  slowly  retraced  his 
steps  back  to  the  place  where  the  Mountain,  Bullock 
and  the  Hunting  roads  or  paths  come  together,  and 
about  sixty  to  eighty  yards  from  wliere  the 
Eighteenth  North  Carolina  Regiment  was  standing 
in  the  woods,  and  about  sixty  to  seventy  yards  from 
where  the  monument  now  stands,  on  the  plank  road. 
Jackson  then  stopped  and  again  turned  his  horse 
towards  the  Federal  lines,  and  was  apparently  listen- 
ing to  the  sounds  from  the  front,  and  for  Lane's  sig- 
nal for  the  advance.  General  A.  P.  Hill  and  his 
adjutant,  Colonel  "W.  H.  Palmer,  again  joined  him. 
The  group  of  horsemen  respectfully  gathered 
together  in  his  rear;  all  were  standing  still  and  in 
silence,  when  suddenly  a  single  rifle  shot  rang  out 
distinctly  in  the  evening  air,  and  at  some  distance 
south  of  the  plank  road.  The  fatal  shot  was  that 
fired  by  the  skirmisher  of  the  Thirty-third  North 
Carolina,  at  the  call  of  General  Kneip;  it  was 
instantly  replied  to,  and  as  the  firing  rolled  along 
the  line  of  the  skirmishers  of  both  armies  and  was 
increased  in  volume  by  the  vollej^s  of  the  Seventy- 
third  New  York  and  a  part  of  the  Seventh  North 
Carolina,  both  lines  of  battle  became  keenly  ou  the 
alert. 


JACKSON  MORTALLY  AVOUNDED.  553 

At  this  moment  Colonel  Purdie  and  the  adju- 
tant of  the  Eighteenth  North  Carolina  had  gone 
forward  on  the  plank  road  about  two  hundred 
yards,  to  consult  with  Colonel  Avery,  of  the  Thirty- 
third  North  Carolina,  near  the  old  Van  Wert  cabin, 
about  the  apj)roach  of  the  enemy  on  the  right  tlank 
and  rear,  and  while  engaged  in  this  conversation 
the  picket  firing  broke  out  in  tlieir  front.  Purdie 
and  his  adjutant  instantly  turned  and  rushed  with 
all  their  speed  down  the  plank  road  towards  their 
position  at  the  head  of  the  Eighteenth  North  Caro- 
lina Regiment.  The  sounds  of  their  footsteps 
startled  the  Confederate  soldiers  already  aroused  by 
the  roar  of  musketry  in  front,  and  as  Major  Barry, 
on  the  left  of  the  Eighteenth,  some  distance  in  the 
woods,  heard  these  sounds  of  rapid  approach  from 
the  front  and  suddenly  saw  a  group  of  strange 
horsemen  moving  about  among  the  shadows  of  the 
trees  eighty  yards  in  his  front  and  to  his  right,  he 
instantly  gave  the  order  to  fire  and  repeat  the 
firing. 

The  fire  of  the  rifles  of  the  North  Carolina 
mountaineers  was  fearfully  efltective,  and  every  one 
of  that  group  of  horsemen  went  down  or  disajv 
peared  before  its  fatal  aim,  except  Jackson.  The 
chieftain,  although  grievously  wounded,  kept  his  seat 
in  the  saddle,  even  when  Old  Sorrel,  startled  by  the 
confusion  around  him,  dashed  across  the  path  into 
an  oak  tree,  whose  branches  nearly  swept  him  to  the 
ground,  and  then  continued  on  towards  the  plank 
road,  but  finally  stopped  a  few  yards  from  the  road, 
where  some  of  the  officers  who  had  escaped  the 
destructive  fire  found  him,  and  tenderly  lifting  him 


554  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

from  the  saddle  laid  the  woanded  chieftain  under  a 
pine  tree.  Soon  after,  General  A.  P.  Hill  came  to  his 
side  and  sent  for  aid,  but  as  Jackson  could  walk,  he 
was  assisted  to  his  feet  and  taken  to  the  plank  road 
and  turned  towards  the  Doudal  House.  As  the 
party  walked  down  the  road  the  number  was 
increased  by  the  officers,  who  desired  to  offer  some 
assistance,  and  the  enlarged  group  of  men,  both  on 
horse  and  on  foot,  attracted  the  notice  of  Captain 
Osborn,  who  had  charge  of  the  two  Federal  guns 
placed  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  on  picket,  and  about 
seven  hundred  or  eight  hundred  yards  distant.  It 
was  then  bright  moonlight,  and  objects  could  be 
seen  a  long  distance  on  the  broad  road.  Osborn  at 
once  opened  fire,  and  it  was  regarded  by  the  batteries 
in  the  rear,  at  Fairview,  as  a  signal  that  the  enemy 
were  advancing  in  force,  and  in  a  moment  after  half 
past  nine  forty-three  guns  in  all  were  directing  a  ter- 
rific fire  down  the  plank  road.  At  this  time  the 
entire  road  below  the  Hazel  Grove  road  was  filled 
with  battalions  of  Confederate  artillery  and  troops 
marching  up  to  take  part  in  the  advance  movement. 
The  Federal  fire  raked  tlie  road  with  fearful  effect, 
and  Jackson's  bearers  were  struck  down  twice,  and 
it  was  in  the  midst  of  this  tempest  of  Imrsting  shell 
that  Jackson  delivered  his  last  order  to  his  army, 
and  it  was  to  General  Pender,  whose  column  was 
being  torn  to  pieces  by  the  Federal  shot  and  shell, 
"  You  must  hold  your  ground.  General  l*endcr." 
The  wounded  general  was  at  last  conveyed  in  safety 
to  tbe  Doudal  Tavern,  and  Stuart  was  sent  for  to 
take  charge  of  the  conmiand.  In  tbe  meantime 
General  Lane,  at  the  extreme  right  of  his  brigade, 


FEDERALS  MADE  PRISONERS.  555 

was  anxiously  awaiting  the  return  of  the  scouting 
party  sent  into  the  forest  on  liis  flank. 

In  a  few  moments  Lieutenant  Emack,  with  his 
four  North  Carohnian  soldiers,  returned  with  one 
hundred  and  fifty  or  more  Federal  soldiers  of  the 
One  Hundred  and  Twenty-eighth  Pennsylvania 
Regiment,  who  had  become  bewildered  in  the  dark 
forest  and  yielded  to  the  summons  of  the  Confed- 
erate oflicer.  As  the  party  came  up  to  the  log  works 
where  General  Lane  was  standing,  Colonel  Smith 
refused  to  submit  to  the  surrender  of  his  men,  as  a 
violation  of  the  handkerchief  of  truce,  and  an 
earnest  discussion  arose  over  the  question  of  right, 
when  suddenly  the  artillery  fire  of  the  Federal  bat- 
teries burst  upon  them,  and  to  escape  the  tempest  of 
destruction  both  Federals  and  Confederates  instantly 
sprang  over  to  the  shady  side  of  the  log  works  and 
lay  side  by  side  in  temporary  brotherly  love.  But  as 
soon  as  the  Federal  fire  ceased  General  Lane  ordered 
the  Federal  soldiers  to  l)e  conducted  to  the  rear  as 
prisoners  of  war.  Shortly  after.  General  Pender 
went  to  General  Lane,  still  in  the  forest,  and  informed 
him  of  the  accident  to  General  Jackson,  and  also  of 
the  wounding  of  General  Hill  by  the  Federal  artil- 
lery fire,  and  advised  General  Lane  not  to  advance. 

About  ten  p.  m.  General  Lane  withdrew  his  left 
wing  from  the  north  of  the  road,  and  i)rolonged  his 
right,  deflecting  it  to  the  Hazel  Grove  road,  while 
Pender  marched  his  brigade  to  take  the  place  of 
Lane's  left  wing  removed.  All  operations  then 
ceased  pending  the  arrival  of  General  Stuart,  who 
did  not  reach  the  field  until  nearly  midnight. 

At  the  hour  of  nine  p.  m.  Jackson  must  have  felt 


556      LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

sure  of  success,  for  the  field  at  the  White  House 
was  about  one  thousand  yards  distant,  with  only 
the  feeble  remnants  of  the  beaten  Eleventh  Corps 
and  a  regiment  of  Barry's  division  to  oppose  him  on 
the  direct  avenue  of  approach.  It  is  in  evidence 
that  while  Lane's  strong  brigade  was  to  engage 
the  attention  of  the  enemy  at  Fair  view,  Jackson 
intended  to  slip  up  the  Bullock  road  with  Pender's, 
McGowan's,  Heth's  and  other  brigades,  which  were 
then  in  readiness  to  march.  And  this  explains  why 
Jackson  and  Hill  were  at  the  junction  of  the 
Bullock  and  Mountain  roads  instead  of  being  on  the 
plank  road.  The  broad  plank  road  was  crowded  for 
a  long  distance  with  battalions  of  Confederate 
artillery  and  their  ammunition  trains,  all  ready  to 
advance.  Williams  at  this  time  had  returned  to 
strengthen  the  Federal  position  at  Fairview  with  his 
division,  but  the  most  of  Sickles's  force  was  at  or 
below  Hazel  Grove,  and  Barlow's  stout  brigade 
was  far  below  and  lost  in  the  woods  and  darkness. 

When  we  consider  the  position  of  the  Federal 
army  at  Chancellorsville  at  this  moment,  and  how 
many  important  battles  have  been  won  b}'  trivial 
flank  attacks,  how  Richepense,  with  a  single  brigade, 
ruined  the  Austrian  army  at  Hohenlinden,  and  how 
the  charge  of  a  handful  of  horsemen  under  Keller- 
maun  won  the  great  battle  at  Marengo,  etc.,  we  must 
admit  that  the  Federal  army  was  in  groat  peril 
when  Jackson  arrived  within  one  thousand  yards  of 
its  vital  i>oint,  with  more  than  twenty  thousand  men 
and  a  hundred  cannon,  and  the  only  obstacle  a  hand- 
ful of  beaten  soldiers  of  the  wrecked  Eleventh  Corps 
and  a  regiment  of  the  Third. 


FEARFUL  ERROR.  557 

The  fatal  shots  came  from  the  left  wing  of  the 
Eighteenth  North  Carolina,  and  the  whole  brigade 
has  been  blended  in  the  severe  denunciations  hurled 
upon  them  in  this  unfortunate  affair.  When 
Mahone's  brigade  of  V^irginians,  in  broad  daylight, 
on  the  6th  of  May,  1864,  tired  repeatedly  into  their 
own'  corps,  killing  General  Jenkins  and  his  aide, 
Doby,  and  wounding  General  Longstreet  and  many 
otliers,  nothing  was  said  about  it.  The  mistake  in 
daylight  was  more  inexcusable  than  the  error  in 
the  darkness  of  night.  Major  Barry  ordered  his 
men  to  fire,  for  he  was  not  aware  of  any  one  passing 
in  his  front,  excepting  the  pickets,  and  they  were 
not  mounted.  Major  Barr^-  was  an  officer  cool  and 
brave,  and  neither  Jackson,  Hill  nor  Lane  ever 
blamed  him  for  his  fearful  error.  As  to  the  charge 
of  being  panic-stricken,' there  is  no  evidence  of  it  to 
be  deduced  from  the  particulars ;  on  the  contrary, 
there  is  much  to  be  admired  in  the  conduct  of 
Lane's  brigade  on  this  unfortunate  night.  The 
entire  brigade  had  been  warned  by  its  commander 
to  be  on  the  alert,  keenly  on  the  alert,  as  they  were 
in  front  of  the  Federal  army  and  without  imme- 
diate support.  The  charge  that  there  was  no 
picket  line  established  is  completely  untrue,  for  the 
entire  Thirty-third  North  Carolina  Regiment  was 
stretched  across  the  plank  road,  above  and  below  it, 
and  far  in  advance  of  where  Jackson  stood  when 
fired  upon.  This  brigade  faced  the  Federal  front 
in  line  of  battle,  and  although  twice  exposed  to  the 
fire  of  forty-three  cannon,  it  never  faltered  or  called 
for  help  until  its  flank  and  rear  were  threatened, 
about  midniffht. 


558      LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

The  history  of  this  cominaiid  under  its  dauntless 
leader  throughout  the  war,  ending  at  Apponuittox, 
will  always  be  admired  and  respected  by  those  who 
believe  in  American  manhood.  And  the  student 
who  seeks  to  discover  a  higher  degree  of  courage 
and  hardihood  among  the  military  organizations  of 
either  army  will  look  over  the  true  records  of  the 
war  for  a  long  time,  if  not  in  vain. 

It  may  perhaps  be  said  that  the  battle  of  Ohan- 
cellorsville,  with  all  its  glory  to  the  Southern  arms, 
was  a  fatal  day  to  the  vitality  of  the  Army  of 
Northern  Virginia.  The  gain  in  cannon,  in  prison- 
ers and  in  morale  was  great,  it  is  true,  but  the  loss 
of  Jackson — the  right  arm  of  Lee — was  irreparable, 
and  the  hosts  of  dauntless  men  who  went  down  in 
the  bloody  struggle  of  that  day  the  South  could  not 
replace. 

Jackson's  hold  upon  his  followers  was  quite 
remarkable,  and  much  of  it  was  due  to  his  military 
success,  for  nothing  like  victory  gives  rise  to  the 
strong  attachment  of  our  nature.  "Silence  is 
golden,"  says  the  old  proverb,  and  Jackson  was  a 
good  example,  for  he  was  as  reticent  as  Von 
Moltke.  Moreover,  he  seemed  to  take  no  one  into 
his  close  confidence  excei)t  General  Lee;  not  for 
want  of  faith  in  the  men  around  liim,  l)ut  because  it 
was  a  cardiiuil  tenet  with  liini  that  secrecy  was  one 
of  the  strongest  military  axioms. 

The  smile  of  fortune  bad  so  often  attended  his 
daring  and  reckless  movements  that  his  i'ollowers 
obeyed  his  commands  with  implicit  confidence. 
His  earnest  religious  nature  also  liad  a  marked 
effect  upon   the  disposition  of  his   soldiers.     Both 


CONSTANTLY  ON  THE  OFFENSIVE.  559 

Jackson  and  Lee  endeavored  to  impress  upon  the 
Soutliern  soldier  a  sense  of  moral  duty  and  a  belief 
in  Divine  protection,  and  it  certainly  added  hope, 
strength  and  steadiness  to  their  efforts  and  their 
bearing,  as  it  did  to  the  followers  of  Cromwell, 
Gustavus  and  Marlborough.  Generally,  the  North- 
ern soldier  and  the  JSTorthern  mind  willingly  accord 
to  Jackson  military  qualities  of  the  highest  rank, 
and  they  will  admit  that  he  had  the  intuitive  genius 
of  war,  courage  and  endurance,  qualities  eminently 
requisite  in  a  soldier. 

It  was  Jackson's  nature  to  be  constantly  on  the 
offensive,  and  he  often  supplied  the  deficiency  of 
military  strength  by  his  skill  and  combination. 
Often  the  Federal  soldier  might  have  repeated  to 
himself  the  remark  of  the  Hungarian  veteran  con- 
cerning Napoleon  in  the  Italian  campaigns:  "He 
knows  nothing  of  the  regular  rules  of  war;  he  is 
sometimes  on  our  front,  sometimes  on  the  flank, 
sometimes  in  the  rear.  There  is  no  supporting  such 
gross  violation  of  rules.'' 

Between  Jackson  and  liis  illustrious  commander. 
General  Lee,  there  was  much  of  that  steady  friend- 
ship, that  sincere  and  mutual  regard,  that  admirable 
adjustment  and  hannouy,  Avhich  threw  an  immortal 
lustre  around  the  names  and  the  actions  of  the  great 
Marlborough  and  the  Prince  Eugene,  less  than  tAvo 
centuries  ago. 

As  the  mists  of  prejudice  clear  away  and  the  true 
ideas  of  a  national  sentiment  prevail,  the  wisli  to 
accord  to  the  Southern  soldier  the  full  measure  of 
his  merits  in  the  Civil  War  grows  stronger  with  the 
Northern  mind,  and  there  is,  moreover,  a  genuine 


560      LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

desire  to  claim  as  national  treasure  the  fame  of 
some  of  the  soldiers  who  fought  for  secession.  It  is 
natural  that  such  a  generous  feeling  should  arise 
and  prosper,  and  it  may  come  to  pass  in  the  not  far 
distant  future  that  an  intelligent  and  enlightened 
nation  will  erect  common  monuments  to  some  of  the 
leaders  of  our  great  Civil  War.  A  few  years  ago  the 
best  of  England's  men  erected  a  common  monu- 
ment to  the  memory  of  the  leaders  of  the  civil  war 
which  desolated  England  in  the  seventeenth  century, 
and  the  poet  laureate  of  England  composed  its  noble 
inscription : 

"  Art  thou  a  patriot,  traveler?     On  this  field 

Did  Falkland  fall,  the  blameless  and  the  brave, 

Beneath  a  tyrant's  banner.     Dost  thou  boast 

Of  loyal  ardor?     Hampden  perished  here, 

The  rebel  Hampden,  at  whose  glorious  name 

The  heart  of  every  honest  Englishman 

Beats  high  with  conscious  pride.     Both  uncorrupt, 

Friends  to  their  common  country  both,  they  fought, 

They  died  in  adverse  armies.     Traveler, 

If  with  thy  neighbor  thou  shouldst  not  accord. 

In  charity  remember  thefe  good  men, 

And  quell  all  angry  and  injurious  thoughts." 


Late  Lieutenant-Colonel,  U.  S.  A. 
Bangor,  Me.,  Oct.  10th,  1895. 


TRIBUTE 


GENERAL   JACKSON. 

By  Brigadier-Gbneral  Basil  Duke. 

(Commanded  Morgan's  Cavalry  Forces.) 

Any  opinion  I  can  offer  of  General  Jackson's  mil- 
itary character  and  of  the  services  he  rendered  in  the 
field  has  been  formed  solely  from  a  study  of  reports 
of  his  campaigns  and  from  conversations  with  those 
who  were  near  him  during  his  remarkable  career, 
for  I  w^as  not  so  fortunate  as  to  know  him  person- 
ally or  to  serve  under  him  at  any  time.  It  is  with 
great  diffidence  that  such  an  opinion  is  submitted. 
So  much  has  been  written  about  the  military  opera- 
tions in  w^hich  he  was  so  conspicuous  and,  in  all 
that  he  personally  undertook,  so  successful,  that  any 
contribution  to  such  literature  may  well  appear 
superfluous,  or  even  presumptuous,  uidess  made  by 
one  able  to  mention  something  not  heretofore  con- 
sidered, or  at  least  present  in  a  new  light  and  with 
the  authority  of  a  witness  facts  and  incidents  which 
have  been  already  often  told. 

I  can  not,  therefore,  attempt  any  narration,  much 
less  anything  in  the  nature  of  criticism,  of  matters 
with  which  every  reader  of  military  history  is 
familiar,  but  shall  simply  furnish  that  tribute  due 
bis  genius  and  heroism  which  hie  every  countryman 


A  GREAT  STRATEGIST.  563 

and  comrade  has  the  right  to  render,  in  terms 
which,  however  trite  they  may  seem,  are  cordial  and 
sincere. 

General  Jackson's  fame  as  a  strategist,  great  as  it 
is,  will  perhaps  increase  as  his  campaigns  are  more 
closely  studied  and  more  perfectly  understood  from 
a  comparison  of  the  data  furnished  by  those  who 
participated  in  them  on  both  sides.     His  expedition 
into  the  Shenandoah  Valley  in  May,  1862  — which 
has  been  so  frequently  and  aptly  compared  to  Napo- 
leon's  first   campaign    in    Italy  — has    rarely   been 
equaled  for  boldness  of  initiative  and   celerity  of 
movement,  and  for  the  accuracy  with  which   the 
enemy's  situation   at  the  moment  of  advance  was 
surmised  and  his  subsequent  movements  anticipated. 
Calculating  with   marvelous   precision    Avhere    and 
when  to  strike,  timing  the  swift  movements  of  his 
little  column  with  a  skill  as  perfect  as  was  the  judg- 
ment with  which  he  handled  his  detachments,  he 
succeeded,  with  an  army  insignificant  in  numbers,  in 
not  only  bafliing  but  defeating  and  driving  before 
him  in  confusion  an  immense  host  of  the  enemy, 
neutralizing  all  the  forces  under  Fremont,  Banks 
and  Shields  at  a  period  vitally  critical  to  the  Con- 
federate cause.     His  march  immediately  afterward 
with  his  entire  command  from  the  Valley  to  Rich- 
mond, to  take  part  in  tlic  battles  with  McClellan, 
was    a  fitting  strategic  conclusion   to  a  prelude  so' 
Ijrilliant. 

^  Scarcely  less  indicative  of  strategical  ability  were 
his  movements  just  preceding  the  second  battle  of 
Manassas  and  those  before  the  capture  of  Harper's 
Ferry,  and  no  criticism  will  ever  be  thought  extrava- 


564      LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

gant  which  gives  unqualified  commendation  to  both 
the  conception  and  the  execution  of  that  masterly 
movement  by  which  Hooker's  right  flank  was 
turned  and  crushed  at  Chancellorsville. 

His  reputation  as  a  tactician  will  be  little,  if  any, 
less  than  that  of  a  strategist ;  for  while  opportunity 
was  never  aftbrded  him  to  demonstrate  a  capacity 
for  handling  large  masses  of  men  in  the  presence  of 
the  enemy,  it  would  be  diflicult  to  cite  the  name  of 
any  general  famous  in  modern  warfare  who  could 
more  perfectly"  utilize  all  tactical  advantages  with 
small  bodies  of  men,  and  supplement  lack  of  num- 
bers by  promptness,  celerit}-  and  decision  in  ma- 
nceuvring.  That  he  was  entitled  to  full  credit  as  a 
daring  and  stubborn  fighter  was  incontestably  dem- 
onstrated by  his  conduct  in  every  battle  wherein  he 
was  engaged,  as  either  commander  or  subordinate. 
General  Jackson  certainly  possessed  in  very  marked 
degree  the  moral  and  intellectual  qualities  most 
essential  to  success  in  war.  His  energy  seemed  tire- 
less, his  will  always  active  and  unyielding,  and  his 
capacity  for  prompt  decision  and  adherence  to  the 
judgments  he  formed  very  remarkable.  He  had  the 
faculty  of  acquirijig  the  imjtlicit  confidence  of  the 
men  he  led,  and  of  insjiiring  them  with  extreme 
enthusiasm,  while  himself  never  losing  any  particle 
of  self-control  or  the  coolest  and  clearest  under- 
standing of  every  situation.  All  great  soldiers  have 
liad  these  characteristics. 

General  Jackson  liad  also  that  rare  combination 
of  caution  and  audacity  in  v.iiieh  each  is  fully  efii- 
cient  and  neither  unduly  predominates.  He  never 
sufierpd  himself  to  be  attacked  that  the  event  did 


A  GREAT  COMMANDER.  565 

not  show  his  ability  to  repulse  the  enemy — he  never 
failed  to  deliver  attack  when,  for  any  reason,  his 
enemy  was  vulnerable ;  and  although  constantly 
offering  or  receiving  battle  with  forces  so  inferior 
numerically  to  those  opposed  to  him,  that,  in  this 
regard,  to  risk  encounter  seemed  a  reckless  tempt- 
ing of  fortune,  it  must  be  admitted  that  not  only 
the  result,  but  a  fair  criticism  of  all  the  conditions 
on  which  his  action  was  predicated,  in  almost  every 
instance,  vindicated  his  judgment.  Such  were  the 
qualities  which  made  General  Jackson  a  great  com- 
mander. In  addition  to  these,  he  possessed  higher 
and  rarer  attributes — a  clear  and  exalted  conception 
of  duty  and  firm,  unselfish  resolution  to  perform 
it,  which  reinforced  the  courage  and  skill  of  the 
soldier  with  the  influence  which  grandeur  of  soul 
and  the  noblest  patriotism  could  exert. 


"T^^^JtUlA^ 


JACKSOX,  "THE  HERO." 

By  Major-General   S.  G.  French. 

(Commanded  Department  of  North  Carolina  and  Sovithern  Virginia.) 

..."  Stonewall  "  Jackson  was  endowed  with 
those  great  and  harmoniously  bahinced  powers  of 
mind  that  nature  occasionally  bestows  on  one  of  her 
favorite  children,  and  which  when  directed  to  the 
art  of  war  gives  to  the  workl  an  organizer,  strategist 
and  tactician,  and  makes  him  master  of  all  its  details 
and  manifold  requirements.  He  possessed  a  mag- 
netic influence  that  gave  to  his  soldiers  an  individu- 
ality that  was  returned  b}'  an  abiding  confidence  in 
his  judgment  and  ability. 

He  was  resolute,  enduring,  patient  and  reticent. 
His  ambition — however  vailed — was  boundless,  and 
his  reliance  on  his  oavu  abilities  as  wonderful  as  his 
success.  Instance  his  reply  to  the  authorities, 
"Give  me  more  men  and  fewer  orders,"  and  his 
remarks  when  the  boy  Pelham  with  one  gun 
checked  Burnside's  advance  at  Fredericksburg — 
"  Give  me  fifty  thousand  Pelhams  arul  I  will  subju- 
gate the  world." 

Although,  with  humility,  he  disclaimed  them,  his 
deeds  were  all  his  own. 

In  his  Valley  campaign  against  Freemont  and 
Shields  his  combinations,  strategy  and  tactics  were 
notnnlikethoseof  Napoleon  atRivoli, when  Alvinczy 
debouched  from  the  Tyrol,  by  the  Adige  and  the 
Brenta,  with  sixty  thousatid  men  to  relieve  "VVurm- 


HIS  LAST  BATTLE.  567 

ser  whom  Napoleon  was  besiegiug  in  Mantua.  Like 
Bonaparte  struck  Quasdonovich  at  Rivoli,  Jackson 
struck  Fremont  at  Cross  Keys,  just  hard  enough  to 
paralyze  him ;  then,  leaving  a  small  force  in  his 
front,  he  withdrew  Ewell  and  quickly  crossed  the 
Shenandoah  at  Port  Republic  and  routed  Shields; 
thus  preventing  their  junction,  although  in  sight 
of  each  other.    He  defeated  each  in  quick  succession. 

But  it  was  at  Chancellorsville,  where  he  fought 
his  last  battle,  that  the  star  of  his  destiny  shone 
resplendent  in  glory,  and  there  he  showed  himself 
the  great  captain. 

Sent  by  Lee  (whose  tactics  in  this  battle  for 
audacity  is  unparalleled)  with  his  three  divisions  to 
attack  the  enemy  on  his  left  and  rear,  he  sped  to  his 
object,  like  an  arrow  to  the  mark,  from  which 
nothing  could  divert  him. 

Told,  when  riding  at  the  head  of  his  troops, 
that  the  enemy  had  attacked  the  rear  train,  he  said, 
"  Tell  the  rear  guard  to  whip  them  off."  Again  a 
courier  came  and  announced  some  of  his  wagons 
captured ;  moving  on,  he  asked,  "  Did  they  get  any 
of  the  ordnance  wagons?"  "No."  "Ah!  tell  the 
guard  not  to  lose  any  ammunition  wagons,"  and  on 
he  pressed  to  the  mark;  and  therein  he  showed  the 
great  captain  that  he  was.  It  was  six  p.  m.  before 
the  line  of  battle  was  formed.     But  when  it  moved — 

"  Roncesvalles!   Roncesvalles !  I  saw  men  ever  such  a  sight  I  " 

Like  the  tidal  wave  of  the  monsoon  the  tide  of 
battle  rolled  on,  overthrowing  everything  before  it 
till  lost  in  darkness,  shaking  the  Chancellor  mansion, 
where  the  Federal  commander  had  his  headquarters, 
to  its  foundation. 


568  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

Returning  from  the  front  of  the  enemy,  crowned 
by  victory,  filled  with  hope  for  the  morrow,  in  the 
meridian  of  his  fame,  this  great  man  fell — fell  by  the 
fire  of  his  own  men  who  loved  him  but  too  well! 
Providence  denied  the  enemy  to  make  the  sacrificial 
ofi'ering  that  was  that  day  required  to  be  made  as 
the  price  of  victory.  And  so  his  spirit,  on  invisible 
wings,  sailed  over  the  river  to  Valhalla;  and  if  it  be 
that  kindred  souls  attract  each  other  in  that  vale, 
then  the  shades  of  Havelock,  "  Stonewall  "  Jack- 
son and  "  Chinese "  Gordon  rest  under  a  tree 
alone — the  three  great  Christian  heroes  of  the  age. 

Winter  Park,  Fla.,  September  24,  1895.  f  A  ^ 


PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS 

OP 

GENERAL  JACKSON. 

By  Major-General  Lafayette  McLaws. 

(Commanded  Division  Army  of  Northern  Virginia.) 

"We  had  realized,  at  the  commencement  of  the 
war,  that  General  Jackson's  very  brilliant  and  daring 
achievements  in  the  Valley  of  Virginia,  during  the 
period  when  the  combination  of  United  States 
armies,  under  direction  of  General  McClellan,  v/as 
culminating  against  Richmond,  resulted  in  such  a 
menace  to  the  Federal  capital,  Washington,  that  the 
advance  of  the  forces  under  General  McDowell  on 
our  left  was  withdrawn  in  order  to  protect  that 
capital  from  Jackson's  forces,  thus  relieving  the 
Confederate  army,  under  General  J.  E.  Johnston,  of 
very  embarrassing  conditions. 

Although  at  that  time  he  was  personally  unknown 
to  most  of  us,  the  conclusions  of  all  who  read  the 
details  of  that  campaign  were  that  General  Jackson 
was  a  man,  calm,  cool,  with  a  mind  serious  and  con- 
centrated and  adventurous,  bringing  tlie  most  prac- 
tical ideas  to  bear  on  the  most  daring  undertakings, 
a  man  of  few  words  but  essentially  one  of  action. 
Give  him  his  orders  and  his  impulse  was  to  obey, 
and  in  the  execution  he  halted  not  for  precise 
instructions,  nor  made  excuses  for  non-action  by 
asking  for  more  men,  but  dared    everything   and 


570  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

made  his  assaults  regardless  of  the  superiority  of 
the  force  opposed  to  him. 

If  he  had  been  at  Gettysburg  on  the  evening  of 
July  Ist,  when  the  enemy  were  in  full  retreat  and  in 
confusion  upon  the  hill  and  ridge  on  which  the 
battles  of  the  2d  of  July  occurred,  there  would  have 
been  no  delay  in  the  onward  march  of  his  then 
victorious  troops ;  he  would  not  have  hesitated,  when 
he  saw  the  chance  of  success  offered  by  the  evident 
confusion  of  the  retreating  foe,  but  have  gone  for- 
ward, with  his  characteristic  dash  and  daring,  and 
those  important  positions  would  doubtless  have 
been  ours,  and  the  battle  of  Gettysburg  of  the  3d 
would  not  have  occurred.  This  was  the  reputation 
he  had  made  for  himself,  to  last  forever. 

I  met  him  for  the  first  time,  and  had  conversation 
with  him,  after  the  surrender  of  Harper's  Ferry.  I 
was  on  the  Maryland  side  of  the  Potomac  with  my 
command,  a  portion  upon  Maryland  Heights,  which 
had  been  captured  by  them,  and  the  rest  in  other 
positions,  offering  battle  to  the  forces  under  General 
Franklin.  When  my  aide-de-camp,  returning  to 
me  after  carrying  a  message  to  General  Jackson 
then  in  Harper's  Ferry,  informed  me  that  General 
Jackson  wished  to  see  me,  I  turned  over  the  com- 
mand temporarily  to  General  R.  H.  Anderson,  and, 
crossing  the  bridge  over  the  Potomac,  reported  to 
him.  But  few  words  passed  between  us.  He  in- 
formed me  that  he  intended  to  move  with  a  })art  of 
his  command  to  Sharpsburg  that  evening,  but  gave 
me  no  special  instructions  as  to  my  movements. 
The  captured  garrison  was  being  sent  across  the 
river  upon  the  only  bridge,  the  pontoon  one  just 


DESTITUTE  TROOPS.  571 

mentioned,  and  were  marched  along  the  river  bank 
and  along  the  front  of  my  troops,  and,  passing  around 
the  ridge  on  the  left  or  east  of  the  Valley,  through 
Weverton  Pass  at  its  foot,  were  free  to  go  wher- 
ever they  wished;  and  as  Franklin's  corps  and  com- 
mand of  Federal  troops  were  ])ut  a  few  miles 
distant  above,  information  as  to  the  status  of  my 
force  was  doubtless  communicated  to  him;  so  that 
ray  force  was  held  in  line  ready  to  resist  any  attack 
that  might  be  made  upon  it. 

I  thus  waited  until  the  way  was  clear,  and  was 
therefore  unable  to  cross  to  the  Maryland  shore 
until  the  next  day  about  eleven  or  twelve  a.  m. 

Many  of  my  men  were  without  shoes  and  tlu; 
entire  command  without  provisions,  and  had  been 
so  for  several  days,  except  such  as  could  l)e  obtained 
by  spasmodic  efforts  of  individuals  and  regimental 
officials;  all  that  had  been  captured  in  Harper's 
Ferry  had  been  otherwise  disposed  of.  I  made 
strenuous  efforts  to  get  something,  but  with  very 
little  results.  My  destitute  troops  nevertheless  went 
forward  cheerfully  towards  Sharpsburg  and,  cross- 
ing the  Potomac  l)cfore  daylight,  were  halted  near 
Sharpsburg,  by  special  order  of  General  Lee  given 
to  myself  in  person,  within  one-quarter  of  a  mile 
from  the  headquarters  of  General  Lee  who  at  the 
same  time  directed  me  to  rest  my  men  and  to  obey 
no  orders  except  such  as  came  direct  from  himself — 
this  before  sunrise  on  that  day. 

So  soon  as  halted,  I  myself,  who  liad  not  slept  for 
three  nights,  and  nearly  all  of  my  command,  which 
had  been  marching  all  night,  went  to  sleep  in  the 
high  grass  alongside  of  the  road. 


572      LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

About  nine  o'clock,  as  I  judged  by  the  sun,  I  was 
awakened  by  a  staff  officer  and  told  that  my  division 
was  wanted,  and  had  been  formed  and  was  march- 
ing to  the  front,  as  I  could  not  be  found  at  the  time, 
being  concealed  by  the  high  grass  in  which  I  slept. 
Mounting  my  horse,  which  had  been  grazing  close 
by,  I  was  soon  at  the  head  of  my  men;  and  being 
met  by  a  staff  officer  of  General  Jackson  and  one  of 
General  D.  11.  Hill,  the  direction  in  which  I  was  to 
attack  was  pointed  out.  At  the  proper  time  my 
line  was  formed  to  make  it.  General  Jackson  came 
to  me  then  and  directed  that  I  send  one  brigade  to 
the  support  of  Early,  which  was  done  at  once,  and 
as  our  men,  of  whose  command  I  do  not  know, 
were  seen  retiring  in  my  immediate  front,  my  force 
(three  brigades)  was  ordered  forward  rapidly,  and 
moving  in  order,  in  splendid  style  met  the  advance 
of  the  conquering  enemy  and  drove  them  back  ir. 
confusion. 

When  the  lines  were  reformed  along  the  crest 
of  the  small  elevation,  which  had  been  won  from 
the  enemy,  a  tremendous  cannonade,  hurling  shot 
and  shell  and  grape  and  canister  at  us  from  a  very 
short  range,  was  then  going  on.  The  enemy,  having 
failed  in  the  direct  charge  to  drive  our  troops,  were 
attempting  to  make  us  give  way  by  this  means. 
General  Jackson  then  came  to  where  I  was  sitting 
on  my  horse,  and  we  stood,  he  also  on  horseback, 
facing  each  other;  and  although  from  our  stand- 
point we  could  not  see  the  batteries  of  the  enemy, 
yet  it  seemed  as  if  our  position  was  known  to  then», 
for  while  there  toji  or  more  shells  were  burst  over 
onr    heads,  and    the    sound    of    the    slirapiu'l    shot 


GRAPE  SHOT  AND  SHELLS.  573 

could  be  heard  as  it  crashed  through  the  branches 
of  a  tree  not  over  five  steps  beyond  us.  One  sboll 
passed  between  General  Jackson  and  myself,  and 
one  struck  a  courier  and,  I  think,  broke  his  leg,  not 
ten  feet  from  us,  and  fell  ])etween  our  horses.  Gen- 
eral Jackson  looked  at  it  and  so  did  I,  but  it  did 
not  explode.  General  Jackson  then  remarked,  "  The 
enemy,  it  seems,  are  getting  our  range,"  and  rode 
away,  much  to  my  gratification. 

He  remarked  two  or  three  times  when  with  me 
that  "  God  had  been  very  kind  to  us  to-day,"  and 
directed  me  to  "press  the  enemy  on  the  left! "  But 
as  my  division  was  about  the  center  of  the  line  and 
the  enemy  were  in  force  directly  in  my  front,  not 
over  a  quarter  of  a  mile  distant,  and  my  command 
in  a  half  starved  and  exhausted  condition,  having 
already  lost  forty  per  cent  in  killed,  wounded  and 
missing,  I  had  no  force  with  which  to  do  anything 
but  watch  and  guard  my  own  front,  especially  as 
the  enemy  continued  their  terrific  and  concentrated 
fire  from  their  batteries  upon  it  —  the  grape  shot 
and  shells  cutting  down  limbs  of  trees  which  fell 
among  my  men,  and  the  fragments  of  the  shells  and 
the  shrapnel  injuring  many  who  were  lying  down 
or  sheltering  themselves  as  they  best  could  while 
waiting  for  the  charge  which  this  concentrated 
fire  led  me  to  expect  would  come  every  moment. 

As  our  lines  did  not  give  way,  the  cannonade 
gradually  ceased  and  l)oth  sides  in  my  front  became 
quiet.  During  this,  Gejieral  Jackson  sent  mo  word, 
or  came  himself,  requesting  me  to  make  a  recon- 
noissance  on  the  left.  General  J.  E.  B.  Stuart  was 
near  me  at  the  time,  and  at  my  request  he  rode  with 


574      LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

me,  passing  through  Jackson's  command  on  to  the 
left,  where  we  ascended  a  little  hill  from  which 
we  saw  a  battery  of  eight  to  sixteen  guns,  not  over 
six  hundred  yards  away,  having  a  large  number  of 
men  aboard  it;  but  before  we  could  make  a  more 
minute  inspection  with  our  glasses,  the  battery 
opened  fire  upon  us,  firing  a  number  of  guns  at 
once,  the  shells  going  a  little  beyond  us.  "We 
retired  precipitately  without  further  examination, 
it  seeming  to  me  that  this  action  by  the  enemy 
evidenced  an  apprehension  on  their  part  that  we 
were  reconnoitring  to  attack  them,  rather  than 
that  they  were  preparing  to  attack  us  on  our  left, 
and  I  so  reported.  "Whatever  fighting  of  conse- 
quence that  took  place  after  this  was  done  elsewhere 
than  in  my  front,  and  we  remained  quiet  in  position. 

From  the  opportunities  I  had  to  form  a  concep- 
tion of  the  character  of  General  Jackson  I  was 
convinced  that  he  deserved  all  of  the  great  confi- 
dence in  which  he  was  held  by  General  Lee,  and 
that  was  a  high  honor  for  any  one.  There  was  no 
other  such  character  in  our  army,  for  in  addition  to 
the  qualities  I  have  stated,  in  which  he  stood  pre- 
eminent, he  had  a  sublime  fiiitli  in  the  justness 
of  our  cause,  and  often  acted  as  if  he  was,  on  special 
and  desperate  occasions,  asking  God's  aid  for  suc- 
cess; and  as  he  was  so  often  successful,  even  in  the 
most  desperate  enterprises,  the  impression  prevailed 
that  he  was  favored  by  the  Almighty,  and  this  added 
confidence  to  the  brave  hearts  under  him,  giving 
additional  dash  and  determination  in  their  charge. 

He  had  close  to  his  heart  the  very  essence  of  our 
cause,  as  stated  by  President  Davis,  believing  and 


RIGHTS  OF  OUR  SIRES.  575 

feeling  that  he  was  fighting  for  "  the  rights  of  our 
sires,  won  in  the  War  of  the  Revolution,  the  State 
sovereignty,  freedom  and  independence,  which  were 
left  to  us  as  an  inheritance  for  their  posterity  for- 
ever," and  no  man  could  have  done  more  to  main- 
tain them. 

Major-General  C.  S.  A. 


GENERAL  STONEWALL  JACKSON. 

By  Major-General   Henry  Heth. 

(Commanded  Division  under  General  Jackson  at  Battle  of  Chancellorsville.) 

I  WAS  three  years  at  West  Point  with  General 
Stonewall  Jackson ;  he  was  graduated  in  the  class 
of  1846,  I  in  the  class  of  1847.  We  never  met 
when  officers  of  the  United  States  Army.  It  was 
my  fortune  to  have  been  in  but  one  battle  with 
General  Jackson ;  that  battle  was  his  last,  the  battle 
of  Chancellorsville. 

I  consider  General  Stonewall  Jackson  the  most 
extraordinary  man  as  a  soldier  that  I  ever  met.  It 
appeared  to  me,  and  I  can  find  but  one  word  to 
express  my  idea,  that  on  the  battle-field  he  was  an 
inspired  man.  To  appreciate  General  Jackson's 
wonderful  abilit}^  as  a  soldier  he  must  have  been 
seen  on  the  field  of  battle.  Quick  as  lightning  to 
take  in  the  situation  confronting  him,  he  knew 
exactly  when,  where  and  how  to  strike,  and  when 
he  did  strike  he  was  as  irresistible  as  a  tornado  —  he 
swept  all  before  him.  Never  excited,  he  was  as  cool 
under  fire  as  he  would  have  been  if  attending  to  his 
devotions  in  his  church.  Had  he  been  spared  to  the 
Confederacy  during  the  years  of  1863,  '64  and  '65, 
it  is  my  belief  that  matters  would  have  resulted  dif- 
ferently. 


FIRST  SIGHT  OF  JACKSON. 

By  JBrigadier-Genkral  Samuel  G,  McGotvan. 

(Commanding  Brigade  under  General  Jackson.) 

...  I  REMEMBER  the  occasion  on  which  I  first  saw 
General  Jackson— on  the  eve  of  the  battle  of  Manas- 
sas (July  21st,  1861).  The  Federals  were  encamped 
at  or  near  Centreville,  on  the  north  side  of  Bull  Run. 
The  Confederates  occupied  the  south  side  and 
guarded  the  fords  of  that  stream  from  the  Stone 
Bridge  to  the  Union  Mills— a  distance  of  eiglit  miles. 
They  had  reason  to  believe  that  the  impending 
struggle  would  be  forced  on  their  right,  and  had 
made  arrangements  accordingly.  But  some  short 
time  after  midnight,  before  the  battle,  it  was 
reported  to  General  Bonham,  who  guarded  the 
approaches  to  Mitchell's  Ford,  that  the  Federals 
were  moving  in  large  force  towards  -the  Stone 
Bridge— that  is  to  say,  to  our  left  instead  of  to  our 
right,  as  had  been  expected.  After  taking  the  pre- 
caution to  verify  the  report,  General  Bonham  de- 
spatched one  of  his  staff  officers  (who  hapi)ened  to 
be  myself)  to  gallop  down  to  Manassas  Junction 
and  report  this  information  to  General  Beauregard. 
That  was  done,  and  he  (Beauregard)  ordered  me  to 
find  General  Jackson,  who,  as  understood,  had  just 
arrived  from  the  Valley,  and  was  somewhere  near 
McLean's  Ford,  and  to  direct  him,  in  the  name  of 
Beauregard,  to  move  at  once  with  his  command  to 
37 


578      LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

the  Lewis  House,  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Stone 
Bridge.  By  inquiring,  the  bivouac  of  General  Jack- 
son was  found  in  a  clump  of  pines,  tlie  general 
himself  being  already  up,  by  a  little  blaze  of  fire, 
before  the  gray  dawn  of  that  eventful  day !  After 
explanations  as  to  authority  and  the  urgency  of  the 
case  the  order  of  General  Beauregard  was  given  to 
Jackson,  who,  with  the  promptness  and  energy 
which  were  his  distinguishing  characteristics,  put 
his  troops  on  the  march,  and  with  his  usual  celerity 
traversed  the  whole  distance  from  the  right  to  the 
left  of  our  lines,  where  he  arrived  just  in  time  to 
arrest  the  further  progress  of  the  Federal  turning 
column,  then  elated  with  the  prospect  of  certain 
success,  and  to  contribute  his  full  share  to  the 
achievement  of  a  great  victory  and,  at  the  same 
nme,to  win  for  himself  that  immortal  name — better 
fhan  a  title  of  nobility — proclaimed  in  the  very 
crisis  of  the  battle  by  the  gallant  Bee,  borne  down 
by  overwhelming  numbers,  "  There  stands  Jackson 
like  a  stone  wall !  "  .  .  . 


yj         4^^  ■• /S-Z'-i 


STONEWALL  JACKSON'S   PLACE  IN 
HISTORY. 

By  Colonel  G.  F.  R.  Henderson. 

(Professor  in  the  British  Staff  College,  Cainberly,  Surrey,  Kiiglaml.) 

The  echoes  of  the  Civil  War  have  not  yet  died 
away.  The  survivors  of  the  great  coiiiiict  still  keep 
its  memories  green;  and  we  are  still  privileged  to 
hear,  from  the  lips  of  those  who  shared  in  them,  the 
conversations  around  the  lire  of  the  bivouac,  and  to 
learn  the  opinions  of  the  rank  and  file  on  the 
subjects  in  which  the  soldier  takes  special  interest. 
Foremost  among  the  most  absorbing  topics  of  the 
camp  was,  undoubtedly,  the  character  of  the  dif- 
ferent generals,  whether  friend  or  foe.  When  one 
man  holds  in  his  hand  the  lives  of  thousands,  when 
one  word  means  victory  or  defeat,  the  minds  of  those 
thousands,  even  hardened  as  they  nuiy  be,  must 
scan  with  something  more  than  curiosity  the  indi- 
vidual who  rules  their  fate.  The  soldier  in  the 
ranks  tests  his  commander  from  two  points  of  view: 
first,  from  his  achievements,  second,  from  his  })erson- 
ality;  and  than  the  men  Avho  carry  the  muskot  there 
are  no  shrewder  judges.  They  may  be  ignorant  of 
the  scope  of  the  campaign,  of  the  purpose  of  the 
manoeuvres,  but  they  have  much  to  do  with  tln'ir 
execution.  Better  than  all  the  historians,  lietter 
than  the  higher  leaders,  they  appreciate  the  diffi- 
culties which  attend  the  operations.     In  their  own 


580  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

limbs  they  have  realized  the  length  and  labor  of  the 
marches;  with  their  own  eyes  they  have  seen  the 
strength  of  the  enemy's  positions  and  the  numbers 
that  manned  them;  and  their  intelligence,  rate  their 
military  knowledge  as  you  will,  is  more  than  suf- 
ficient to  enable  them  to  recognize  a  hazardous 
situation,  and  to  appreciate  the  exact  measure  of 
ability  which  was  brought  to  bear  upon  it.  They 
know — and  none  better — whether  the  orders  of  the 
general  were  decided  and  to  the  point,  whether  the 
opportunity  was  utilized,  whether  the  attack  was 
pressed  with  resolution,  or  defence  maintained  to 
the  utmost  limit  of  endurance.  They  judge  by 
results.  They  have  seen  the  enemy  driven  in  panic 
flight  by  inferior  numbers,  his  detachments  sur- 
prised, and  his  masses  outmanceuvred;  and  though 
the  victories  thus  won  may  have  been  relatively 
unimportant,  the  strength  of  the  opposing  forces 
insignificant,  the  lists  of  casualties  and  prisoners 
comparatively  small,  yet  the  soldiers  are  not  deceived. 
The  world  at  large  recks  little  of  minor  engage- 
ments, and  is  much  too  apt  to  measure  military 
capacity  by  the  "butcher's  bills;"  but  the  instinct 
of  the  soldier  tells  him,  and  tells  liim  truly,  that 
genius  of  the  highest  order  may  display  itself  in  the 
defeat  often  thousand  men  as  clearly  as  in  the  defeat 
of  ten  times  that  number.  When  he  finds  that 
genius  he  resigns  his  individuality,  and  absolute 
trust  takes  the  place  of  speculation.  The  general  in 
whose  soldierly  al)ilities  his  veterans  have  implicit 
confidence,  no  matter  what  the  scale  of  his  victo- 
ries, is,  without  dou])t,  a  leader  of  men ;  for  that 
confidence  is  not  easily  given,  it  is  only  to  be  won 


"  WAR  INTO  AFRICA.  "  581 

on  the  perilous  edge  of  many  battles,  and  it  is  only 
accorded  to  consummate  skill. 

Amongst  the  echoes  of  the  Civil  "War  there  is 
none  of  clearer  tone  than  the  soldier's  estimate  of 
Stonewall  Jackson.  It  never  fell  to  Jackson's  lot 
to  lead  a  great  army  or  to  plan  the  strategy  of  a 
great  campaign.  The  operations  in  the  Valley,  al- 
though far-reaching  in  their  results,  were  insignifi- 
cant both  in  respect  of  the  numbers  employed  and 
of  the  extent  of  their  theatre.  Nor  was  Jackson 
wholly  independent.  His  was  but  a  secondary  role, 
and  throughout  the  campaign  he  had  to  weigh  at 
every  turn  the  instructions  or  suggestions  of  his 
superior  officers.  His  hand  was  never  absolutely 
free.  His  authority  did  not  reach  beyond  certain 
limits,  and  his  operations  were  confined  to  one 
locality.  He  was  never  permitted  to  "  carry  the 
war  into  Africa. "  Nor  when  he  joined  Lee  at 
Richmond  was  the  restraint  removed.  In  the 
campaign  against  Pope,  and  in  the  march  into 
Maryland,  he  was  certainly  intrusted  with  tasks 
which  led  to  a  complete  severance  from  the  main 
army  ;  but  that  severance  was  merely  temporary. 
He  was  the  most  trusted  of  Lee's  lieutenants,  but 
he  was  only  a  lieutenant  after  all.  He  had  never 
the  same  liberty  of  action  as  Johnston,  or  Bragg,  or 
Hood  ;  and  consequently  he  had  never  a  real  oppor- 
tunity for  revealing  the  height  and  breadth  of  his 
military  genivis.  What  would  have  been  the  issue 
of  the  war  if  Jackson  had  been  placed  in  command 
of  the  Western  armies  of  the  Confederacy,  whilst  Lee 
held  fast  in  Virginia,  must  remain  a  matter  of  spec- 
ulation.    One  thing  is  absolutely  certain,  Lee  would 


582      LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

never  have  been  able  to  replace  him.  As  a  subor- 
dinate he  was  incomparable.  "  General  Lee,  "  he 
said,  "  is  a  phenomenon,  I  would  follow  him  blind- 
fold, "  applying,  with  his  wonderful  insight  into 
character,  exactly  the  same  words  that  his  own  men 
had  come  to  apply  to  himself. 

It  seems  that  Lee  was  slower  to  learn  his  com- 
rade's worth.  Even  the  Valley  campaign,  with  its 
long  roll  of  victories,  did  not  at  once  enlighten  him. 
After  Sharpsburg,  perhaps  with  the  memory  of 
Jackson's  untoward  delay  on  June  27th  and  again 
at  Frayser's  fjirm  on  the  29tli  still  fresh  in  his 
memory,  he  writes  :  "  My  opinion  of  the  merits  of 
General  Jackson  has  been  greatly  enhanced  dur- 
ing this  expedition.  He  is  true,  honest  and  brave, 
has  an  eye  single  to  the  good  of  the  service,  and 
spares  no  exertion  to  accomi)lish  his  object.  "  Hoav 
different  and  how  significant  was  his  generous  cry, 
not  ten  months  later,  when  the  glories  of  Chancel- 
lorsville  were  obscured  b}-  Jackson's  wound : 
"Could  I  have  directed  events,  I  should  have  chosen, 
for  the  good  of  the  country,  to  have  been  disabled 
in  your  stead. "  Yet  even  after  the  "  Seven  Days  " 
to  Jackson  was  committed  every  enterprise  that 
necessitated  a  detachment  from  the  army.  It  was 
Jackson,  with  plenary  powers,  who  was  sent  to 
check  Pope's  advance  on  Gordonsvillo,  to  cut  his 
communications  at  Bristoe  Station,  to  cai)ture  Har- 
per's Ferry,  to  hold  the  Valley  Avhen  McClelhin 
advanced  after  Antietani,  and  to  fall  on  Hooker's 
ilaidv  at  ChanccUorsville.  The  records  of  the  war 
show  abundantly,  in  the  letters  which  passed  be- 
tween them,  how  the  confidence  of  the  commander- 


WILL  OF  IRON.  583 

in-chief  in  his  subordinute  increased,  until,  when 
the  news  of  Hooker's  adviincc  on  Ohancellorsville 
was  reported,  Lee  conkl  say  to  one  of  Jackson's  aides- 
de-camp  :  "  Tell  your  good  general  that  I  am  sure 
he  knows  what  to  do.  "  ^Nevertheless,  the  fact  that 
Jackson  never  held  an  independent  command,  and, 
more  than  this,  his  very  excellence  as  a  subordinate, 
have  served  to  diminish  his  reputation.  Swinton,the 
accomplished  historian,  speaks  of  him  as  follows : 
"  Jackson  was  essentially  an  executive  officer,  and 
in  that  sphere  he  was  incomparable,  but  he  was 
devoid  of  high  mental  parts,  and  destitute  of  that 
power  of  planning  a  combination  and  of  that  calm, 
broad  military  intelligence  which  distinguished 
General  Lee."  And  Swinton's  verdict  has  been  very 
generally  accepted.  Because  Jackson  knew  so  well 
how  to  obey,  it  is  assumed  that  he  was  not  well 
fitted  for  independent  command.  Because  he  could 
carry  out  orders  to  the  letter,  it  is  implied  that  he 
was  no  master  of  strategy.  Because  his  will  was  of 
iron,  and  that  his  purpose,  once  fixed,  never  wavered 
for  a  moment,  we  are  asked  to  believe  that  his 
mental  scope  was  narrow.  Because  he  was  silent  in 
council,  not  eager  in  pressing  his  ideas,  and  averse 
to  argument,  it  is  implied  that  his  opinions  on  mat- 
ters of  great  moment  were  hardly  worth  hearing. 
Because  his  simplicity  and  honesty  were  so  trans- 
parent, because  he  betrayed  neither  in  face  nor 
bearing  any  unusual  power  or  consciousness  of 
power,  it  is  hastily  concluded  that  he  was  deficient 
in  the  imagination,  the  breadth  and  the  penetration 
which  are  the  distinguishing  characteristics  of  great 
generals. 


584  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

Yet  look  at  the  portraits  of  Jacksoii,  and  ask  if 
the  following  description  is  not  exactly  a[>plicable  ? 
"  Strength  is  the  most  striking  attribute  of  the  coun- 
tenance, displayed  alike  in  the  broad  forehead,  the 
masculine  nose,  the  firm  lips,  the  heavy  jaw  and  wide 
chiu.  The  look  is  grave  and  stern  almost  to  grim- 
ness.  There  is  neither  weakness  nor  failure  here. 
It  is  the  image  of  the  strong  fortress,  of  a  strong 
soul  buttressed  on  conscience  and  impregnable  will." 
And  the  face  limned  here  with  such  power  of  pen  is 
not  the  face  of  a  great  conqueror  or  a  great  ruler,  of 
a  Cromwell  or  a  Wellington,  but  of  Dante.  The 
truth  is  that  his  quiet  demeanor  concealed  not  only 
a  vivid  imagination,  butaii  almost  romantic  enthusi- 
asm for  all  that  was  great  or  pure  or  true.  Nor  was 
Swinton's  verdict  the  verdict  of  the  soldiers  of  the 
Civil  War.  It  was  not  the  verdict  of  Lee — witness 
his  letter  already  quoted.  It  was  not  the  verdict  of 
the  Southern  people  and  it  was  not  the  verdict  of 
their  foes.  It  can  hardly  be  questioned,  I  think,  by 
those  familiar  with  the  records  of  the  war,  with 
the  ephemeral  literature  of  the  time,  with  the  letters 
and  biographies  of  the  actors,  that,  at  the  time  of 
his  death,  Jackson  was  the  leader  most  trusted  by 
the  Confederates  and  most  dreaded  by  the  Federals. 
Lee  was  his  only  rival,  but  I  much  doubt  whether 
at  the  date  of  Chancellorsville  the  news  of  Lee's 
death  would  have  been  received  with  so  much  regret 
in  Richmond,  or  with  as  much  relief  at  Washington, 
us  was  Stonewall  Jackson's.  Nevertheless,  the 
instinct  of  the  soldiers  is  hardly  suflftcient  evidence 
on  which  to  claim  for  Jackson  a  place  amongst  the 
most  famous  generals;  and  for  the  reason  that  his 


MILITARY  CAREER.  585 

theatre  of  action  was  limited,  it  is  difficult  to  assign 
the  rank  which  he  ought  to  hold.  The  rank,  liow- 
ever,  which,  had  his  power  been  unfettered  as  that 
wielded  by  Lee  or  Grant,  he  could  in  all  prol)ability 
have  attained  may  be  inferred  from  his  achievements 
in  a  subordinate  capacity.  Moreover,  Jackson  was 
not  always  inarticulate.  To  his  intimates  he  con- 
fided his  own  views  on  the  conduct  of  the  war. 
His  active  brain,  even  whilst  he  was  no  more  than  a 
brigadier,  not  only  anticipated  in  what  manner  vic- 
tories might  be  best  improved,  but,  maintaining  a 
comprehensive  grasp  of  the  whole  theatre  of  events, 
determined  by  what  means  the  ultimate  triumph  of 
the  Confederacy  might  be  secured.  These  thoughts 
took  shape  in  definite  proposals.  And  although 
they  were  never,  I  believe,  brought  to  the  notice  of 
the  supreme  authorities,  and  whilst  it  is  true  that  it  is 
much  simpler  to  plan  than  to  execute,  much  easier 
to  advise  than  to  bear  responsibility,  these  proposals 
at  least  reveal  the  breadth  of  Jackson's  mind,  his 
quick  perception  of  the  capital  object  which  should 
have  been  held  in  view  by  the  Confederates,  and  of 
the  weak  joint  in  the  Northern  harness.  To  these, 
as  I  pass  in  review  the  chief  events  of  Jackson's 
military  career,  I  may  be  permitted  to  refer. 

The  first  year  of  the  war  gave  the  Lexington  pro- 
fessor but  small  opportunity.  All  he  was  intrusted 
with  he  did  well,  and  his  tactical  ability  was  cor- 
dially recognized  by  his  superiors.  Falling  Waters, 
his  first  essay  in  arms  before  the  enemj,  was  an 
insignificant  aflnair.  At  Bull  Run  his  brigade  dis- 
played a  conspicuous  part.  The  quick  perception 
of  the  advantages  of  the  position  on  the  eastern  rim 


586  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON, 

of  the  Henr}'  Hill  had  much  to  do  with  the  Confed- 
erate victory.  Had  tlie  brigade  been  pushed  for- 
ward to  the  western  rim,  it  would  have  been 
exposed  to  the  full  force  of  the  powerful  Federal 
artillery;  as  it  was,  placed  on  the  further  edge 
of  the  plateau,  it  secured  a  certain  amount  of  cover, 
and  rendered  the  attempt  of  the  Northern  batteries 
to  establish  tliomselves  on  the  plateau  a  disastrous 
failure.  Again,  although  it  is  hardly  alluded  to  in 
the  official  reports,  there  can  be  little  doubt,  at  least 
in  the  minds  of  those  who  have  seen  the  ground 
and  read  the  narratives,  but  that  the  well-timed 
charge  of  the  Stonewall  Brigade  was  decisive  of  the 
issue.  ISTor  can  I  omit  to  mention  the  ready  initia- 
tive with  which  the  Stonewall  Brigade,  ordered  up 
to  support  the  troops  at  the  Stone  Bridge,  was 
diverted  on  the  march  towards  the  heavy  cannonade 
on  the  left  flank,  "or  the  determined  bearing  which 
inspired  his  defeated  colleagues  with  renewed  confi- 
dence. If  two  opinions  exist  as  to  the  effect  of 
Jackson's  charge  there  can  be  no  question  that,  but 
for  his  ready  intervention  and  skilful  choice  of  a 
position,  the  key-point  of  the  battle-field  would  have 
been  lost  to  the  Confederates.  Why  the  Southern 
generals  did  not  follow  up  their  success  is  a  question 
round  which  controversy  has  raged  for  many  a 
year.  The  disorganization  of  the  victorious  volun- 
teers, the  difficulties  of  a  direct  attack  on  Washing- 
ton, deficiencies  of  supply  and  transport,  have  all 
been  pressed  into  service  as  excuses.  "  Give  me  ten 
thousand  fresh  troops,"  said  Jackson,  as  the  surgeon 
dressed  his  wounds  after  the  l)attle,  "and  I  would  be 
in    Washinecton  -to-morrow."     Within   twentv-four 


AFTER  BULL  RUN.  587 

hoars  the  ten  thousand  had  arrived.  Tliere  were 
supplies,  too,  along  the  railway  in  the  rear,  and  if 
means  for  their  distribution  and  carriage  were  want- 
ing, the  counties  adjoining  the  Potomac  were  rich 
and  fertile.  It  was  not  a  long  supply  train  that  was 
wanting,  not  a-  trained  staff,  nor  well-diseij)lined 
battalions,  but  a  general  who  grasped  the  full  mean- 
ing of  victory,  who  understood  how  a  defeated  army, 
more  especially  one  of  raw  troops,  yields  at  a  touch, 
who  knew  "  that  war  must  support  war,"  and  who, 
above  all,  realized  the  necessity  of  giving  the  North 
no  leisure  to  develop  her  immense  resources.  That 
Jackson  was  such  a  general  may  be  inferred  from 
his  after  career.  His  daring  judgment  never  failed 
to  discern  the  strategical  requirements  of  a  situa- 
tion, and  no  obstacle  ever  deterred  him  from  aiming 
at  the  true  objective.  "Whilst  in  camp  after  Bull 
Run  he  said  nothing.  Afterwards,  to  his  intimates, 
he  condemned  the  inaction  of  his  superiors  with 
unusual  warmth  and  emphasis.  Of  the  accuracy  of 
his  insight  tlie  letters  of  General  McClellan,  hurried 
from  West  Virginia  to  command  at  Washington,  are 
the  best  evidence.  On  July  26th,  the  fifth  day  after 
the  battle,  McClellan  "  found  no  preparations  for 
defence.  All  was  chaos.  .  .  .  There  was  nothing  to 
prevent  a  small  force  of  cavalry  riding  into  the 
city.  ...  If  the  Secessionists  attached  any  value  t(» 
Washington,  they  committed  their  greatest  ci-ror  in 
not  following  up  the  victory  of  Bull  Run.'' 

Jackson's  removal  in  the  late  autumn  to  the 
Shenandoah  A^allcy  was  unnnirked  for  some  months 
by  any  striking  incident.  The  Romney  expedition 
did  little  more  than  frio:hten  the  Federals  and  reveal 


588  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

the  defects  of  the  raw  Confederate  soldiers.  But 
during  this  time  Jackson's  brain  was  alive  to  more 
momentous  questions  than  the  retention  of  a  few 
counties.  The  importance  of  the  northwestern 
districts  of  Virginia  as  a  recruiting  ground,  the 
necessity  of  an  active  offensive  on  the  part  of  tlie 
Confederate  government,  of  anticipating  the  vast 
preparations  of  the  North,  and  of  bringing  the  hor- 
rors of  war  home  to  the  citizens  of  the  United 
States — such  questions  constantly  occupied  his  mind. 
But  the  young  brigadier  had  no  voice  in  the  coun- 
cils of  the  South.  At  the  end  of  February  began 
that  series  of  operations  which  are  combined  under 
the  title  of  "  The  Valley  Campaign  ; "  and  this  cam- 
paign, on  which  Jackson's  fame  as  a  master  of 
strategy  chiefly  rests,  was  the  most  brilliant  exhibi- 
tion of  generalship  throughout  the  war.  As  regards 
this  campaign,  however,  a  certain  amount  of  mis- 
conception exists.  Its  success  is  not  to  be  attributed 
wholly  and  solely  to  Jackson.  It  was  due  to  John- 
ston that  Jackson  was  retained  in  the  Valley  when 
McClellan  moved  to  the  Peninsula,  and  his,  too, 
was  the  fundamental  idea  of  the  campaign,  that  the 
Federals  should  be  retained  in  the  Valley.  It  was 
Lee  who  at  the  end  of  April  urged  Jackson  to 
strike  a  blow  at  Banks,  reinforcing  the  Army  of  the 
Valley  with  Ewell's  division  for  that  purpose.  It 
was  Lee  who  saw  the  diversion  that  might  be 
effected  if  Jackson  threatened  Washington,  and  it 
was  Lee  who  exactly  at  the  right  moment  ordered 
the  Valley  troops  to  Richmond.  But  it  was  none 
the  loss  true  that  Jackson  realized  tlic  situation  just 
as  clearly  as  Lee  or  Johnston.     lie  saw  from  the 


LEFT  TO  JACKSON.  589 

very  first  the  weak  point  in  McClellan's  plan  of 
campaign,  and  the  probable  efiect  of  a  threat  against 
Washington.  "When  Lee  urged  him  to  strike  Banks 
at  Ilarrisonburg  he  was  already  looking  for  an 
opportunity.  When  Ewell  arrived  it  was  in  re- 
sponse to  his  own  request  for  reinforcements,  and  it 
may  be  remembered  that  Lee  made  no  suggestion 
whatever  as  to  the  manner  in  which  his  ideas  were 
to  be  carried  out.  Everything  was  left  to  Jackson. 
The  swift  manoeuvres,  which  surprised  in  succession 
his  various  enemies,  emanated  from  him  alone.  It 
was  his  brain  that  conceived  the  march  by  way  of 
Medium's  River  Station  to  McDowell,  the  march 
that  surprised  Fremont  and  bewildered  Banks.  It 
was  his  brain  that  conceived  the  sudden  transfer  of 
the  Valley  army  from  one  side  of  Massanutton  to 
the  other,  the  march  that  surprised  Kenly  and  drove 
Banks  in  confusion  across  the  Potomac.  It  was  his 
brain  that  worked  out  the  design  of  threatening 
Washington  with  such  extraordinary  results.  To 
him,  and  to  him  only,  was  due  the  double  victory 
of  Cross  Keys  and  Port  Pcpublic.  If  Lee's  strategy 
was  brilliant,  that  displayed  by  Jackson  on  the 
minor  theatre  of  war  was  no  less  masterly. 

In  March,  1862,  200,000  Federals  were  prepared 
to  invade  Virginia.  McClellan,  before  McDowell 
was  withheld,  reckoned  on  placing  150,000  men  at 
West  Point;  there  were  20,000  in  West  Virginia, 
and  Banks  had  30,000  in  the  Valley.  At  no  time 
did  the  army  opposed  to  them  exceed  80,000,  yet  at 
the  end  of  June  where  are  the  "big  battalions?" 
One  hundred  thousand  men  are  retreating  to  their 
ships    on   the    James.      But   where    are   the    rest? 


590      LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

Where  are  the  40,000  men  that  should  have  rein- 
forced McClellau?  How  comes  it  that  the  cohimiis 
of  Fremont  and  Banks  are  no  farther  south  than 
they  were  in  March;  that  the  Shenandoah  Valley 
still  pours  its  produce  into  Richmond;  that  Mc- 
Dowell has  not  yet  crossed  the  Rappahannock  ? 
"What  mysterious  power  has  compelled  Lincoln  to 
retain  a  force  larger  than  the  whole  Confederate 
army  " to  protect  the  national  capital  from  danger? " 
Let  Kernstown  and  McDowell,  Winchester,  Cross 
Keys  and  Port  Repuhlic  speak.  The  hrains  of  two 
great  leaders  had  done  more  for  the  Confederacy 
than  200,000  soldiers  had  done  for  the  Union. 
Without  quitting  his  desk,  and  leaving  the  execu- 
tion of  his  plans  to  Jackson,  Lee  had  relieved  Rich- 
mond of  100,000  Federals.  Jackson,  with  a  force 
of  never  more  than  17,000,  had  neutralized  and 
demoralized  this  enormous  force,  and,  finally  join- 
ing the  main  army,  had  aided  Lee  to'  drive  the 
remaining  100,000  away  from  Richmond. 

iTor  was  this  result  due  to  hard  fighting  alone. 
The  Valley  campaign  lost  the  Federals  no  more  tlian 
seven  thousand  men,  and,  with  the  exception  of 
Cross  Kej's,  the  battles  were  well  contested.  It  was 
not  due  to  inferior  leading  on  the  battle-field,  for  at 
Kernstown,  McDowell,  Winchester  and  Port  Repub- 
lic the  Federal  troops  were  undeniably  well  handled. 
Nor  was  it  due  to  the  want  of  will  on  the  part  of 
the  Northern  government.  It  was  simply  due  to  the 
splendid  strategy  of  Lee  and  Jackson.  Jackson's 
long  and  rapid  marches  M'ere  doubtless  a  factor  of 
much  im[>ortaiice;  1)ut  more  important  still  Avas  the 
skill  that  enabled  him  to   eflf'ect  surprise   after  sur- 


.>  l'    *    ) 


At 


A  ^f::f«^((ji  I 


"  STONKWAT.I, '■    JACKSON    ]!I{I(:  A  l)K    IM.ANTINC    TIIKFK    fil'NS 


AS   A   STRATEGIST.  591 

prise,  to  use  the  mountains  to  screen  his  movements, 
iind  on  every  single  battle-field,  except  Kernstown 
and  Cross  Keys,  despite  the  overwhelming  superior- 
ity of  his  opponent  on  the  whole  theatre,  to  concen- 
trate a  force  greater  than  that  immediately  opposed 
to  him.  "As  a  strategist,"  says  Dabney,  "•the  first 
Napoleon  was  undoubtedly  Jackson's  model.  He 
had  studied  his  campaigns  diligently,  and  he  was 
accustomed  to  remark  with  enthusiasm  on  the  evi- 
dences of  his  genius."  "E'apoleon,"  he  said,  "was 
the  first  to  show  what  an  army  could  be  made  to 
accomplish.  He  had  shown  what  was  the  value  of 
time  as  a  strategic  combination,  and  that  good 
troops,  if  well  cared  for,  could  be  made  to  march 
twenty-five  miles  daily  and  win  battles  besides." 
And  he  had  remarked  more  than  this.  "  We  must 
make  this  campaign,"  he  said  at  the  beginning  of 
1863,  "an  exceedingly  active  one.  Only  thus  can  a 
weaker  country  cope  with  a  stronger;  it  must  make 
up  in  activity  what  it  lacks  in  strength.  A  defen- 
sive campaign  can  only  be  nuide  successful  by  tak- 
ing the  aggressive  at  the  proper  time.  Napoleon 
never  waited  for  his  adversary  to  become  fully  pre- 
pared, but  struck  him  the  first  blow."  It  would  be 
perhaps  difiScult  in  the  writings  of  Napoleon  him- 
self to  find  a  passage  which  embodies  his  concep- 
tion of  war  in  terms  as  definite  as  these,  but  no 
words  could  convey  it  more  clearly.  It  is  such 
strategy  as  this  that  "  gains  the  aid  of  States  and 
makes  men  heroes."  Napoleon  did  not  discover  it. 
Every  single  general  who  deserves  to  be  entitled 
great  has  used  it.  It  was  on  the  lines  here  laid 
down  that  Lee  and  Jackson  acted.     Lee,  in  compel- 


592  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

ling  the  Federals  to  keep  their  columns  separated, 
manoeuvred  with  a  skill  which  has  seldom  been  sur- 
passed. Jackson,  falling  as  it  were  from  the  skies 
into  the  midst  of  his  astonished  foes,  struck  right 
and  left  with  extraordinary  swiftness,  and  with 
seventeen  thousand  men  paralyzed,  practically 
speaking,  the  whole  Federal  host.  It  is  when 
regarded  in  connection  with  the  operations  of  the 
main  armies  that  the  Valley  campaign  stands  out  in 
its  true  colors ;  hut  at  the  same  time,  as  an  isolated 
incident,  it  is  a  campaign  than  which  few  can  show 
more  extraordinary  results.  It  has  been  compared, 
and  not  inaptly,  with  the  Italian  campaign  of  1796 ; 
in  some  of  its  features  it  resembles  that  of  1814 ; 
and  in  the  secrecy  of  movement,  celerity  of  march, 
the  skilful  use  of  topographical  features,  in  the 
concentration  of  inferior  force  at  the  critical  point, 
it  bears  strong  traces  of  the  Napoleonic  methods. 
Above  all,  it  reveals  a  most  perfect  appreciation  of 
the  best  means  of  dealing  with  superior  numbers. 
The  emperor  could  hardly  have  applied  his  own 
principles  with  more  decisive  eflect. 

Moreover,  like  that  of  179G,  the  Valley  campaign 
was  carried  through  by  an  officer  who  had  l)ut  scant 
experience  of  command.  Like  Napoleon  when  he 
dashed  through  the  passes  of  the  Apennines,  driv- 
ing Austrian  and  Sardinian  before  him,  Jackson  in 
1862  had  served  no  long  apprenticeship  to  war,  and 
yet  his  first  important  enterprise,  involving  most 
delicate  (questions  of  strategy  and  stipitly,  was  carried 
to  a  successful  conclusion  in  the  face  of  an  enemy 
who  at  one  time  was  trebly  superior,  and  takes 
rank  as  a  masterpiece  of  leadership.     It  is  possible 


VALLEY  CAMPAIGN.  593 

that  Jackson,  in  one  cliaractcristic,  even  excelled 
Napoleon.  With  all  his  daring  he  was  pre-emi- 
nently cautious.  He  was  neither  intoxicated  Ijy 
victory  nor  carried  away  by  the  gaudia  certaminis. 
His  self-restraint  was  as  strong  as  "Wellington's. 
Like  the  great  Englishman,  he  knew  as  well  when 
to  decline  a  battle  as  when  to  fight  one ;  he  was 
never  inveigled  into  a  useless  conflict,  and  his  tri- 
umphs were  never  barren.  The  whole  Valley  cam- 
paign— from  Kernstown  to  Port  Ilepublic — cost  the 
Confederacy  no  more  than  twenty-five  hundred  men ; 
and  this  economy  of  life  was  due  as  mucli  to  Jack- 
son's prudence  as  to  his  skilful  strategy.  He  never 
forgot  that  his  was  but  a  secondary  role ;  that  the 
decisive  act  of  the  campaign  must  be  played  before 
Richmond,  and  that  every  available  musket  would 
be  needed  to  overwhelm  McClellan.  It  is  easy  to 
imagine  how  his  patience  must  have  been  tried  when 
Fremont,  after  Port  Republic,  fell  back  on  Harri- 
sonburg; how  every  im})ulse  of  his  being  must  have 
urged  instant  i)ursuit;  how  every  soldierly  instinct 
must  have  told  him  that  the  prey  was  before  him 
and  that  it  needed  but  a  few  swift  marches  to  crown 
the  campaign  by  a  victory  more  complete  than  any 
he  had  already  won. 

The  Valley  campaign  may  be  said  to  have  been 
Jackson's  only  opportunity  for  showing  his  strate- 
gical ability.  In  the  movements  (July  19th  to 
August  14th)  against  Pope,  culminating  in  the  bat- 
tle of  Cedar  Run,  although  he  completely  achieved 
his  object,  the  situation  demanded  no  pre-eminent 
abilities.  The  Federal  commander,  in  pushing 
Banks  forward  without  support,  committed  a  mis- 
38 


594  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

take,  and  Jackson,  with  his  usual  promptness,  took 
swiftest  advantage  of  it.  Tlie  second  phase  of  the 
campaign,  however,  gave  a  more  hrilliant  opening. 
Thrust  with  his  single  corps  astride  the  enemy's 
communications,  with  his  hack  to  the  Bull  Eun 
Mountains,  the  remainder  of  the  Confederate  army 
still  beyond  the  passes  of  that  outlying  range,  and 
Pope's  masses  rapidly  converging  on  his  isolated 
troops,  he  had  to  face  a  situation  that  few  would 
have  faced  unmoved.  The  manoeuvres  by  which  he 
baffled  his  adversaries,  slipped  from  between  their 
lingers,  and  regained  his  connection  with  Lee  at 
exactly  the  right  moment,  were  even  more  skilful 
than  those  in  which  he  escaped  the  converging  col- 
umns of  Fremont  and  McDowell  at  the  end  of  May. 
Had  the  worst  come  to  the  worst  he  could  always 
have  retired  through  Aldie  Gap  ;  but  Lee's  object — 
the  immediate  overthrow  of  Pope  before  he  could 
be  reinforced  by  McClellan  —  forbade  retreat,  and 
Jackson's  brains  and  energy  were  equal  to  the  task. 
A  month  later  Lee  imposed  on  him  the  capture  of 
Harper's  Ferry.  It  was  carried  out,  as  were  all  of 
Jackson's  operations,  in  a  manner  which  defies  crit- 
icism, and  throughout,  the  requirements  of  the  gen- 
eral situation,  the  danger  which  menaced  the  main 
army,  were  foremost  in  liis  mind.  "With  the  fall  of 
Harper's  Ferry  the  tale  of  Jackson's  detached  enter- 
l)rises  came  to  an  end. 

This  is  hardly  the  place  to  discuss  liis  views  on 
the  military  policy  of  the  Confederate  government. 
He  was  an  ardent  and  consistent  advocate  of  inva- 
sion, and  I  have  already  quoted  liis  conviction  as  to 
t])e  only  sound  course  which  can  be  ])ursn('(l  ])y  the 


NEVER   BLUNDERED.  595 

weaker  side.  On  this  point  opinions  will  probably 
differ,  but  it  may  be  said  that  it  is  a  course  which 
has  the  sanction  of  many  precedents,  and  has  been 
the  invariable  practice  of  the  great  masters  of  war. 
Nor  can  I  do  more  than  refer  to  the  methods  by 
which  Jackson  proposed  to  bring  the  K'orth  to  its 
knees.  They  are  fully  explained  in  Mrs.  Jackson's 
pages,  and  to  examine  their  merits  and  to  weigh 
their  probable  chances  of  success  would  bo  to  write 
a  treatise  on  the  war. 

So  far  I  have  conlined  myself  to  Jackson's  con- 
ception and  application  of  strategic  principles. 
That  both  conception  and  application  could  hardly 
have  been  improved  upon  is  my  firm  conviction. 
It  is  difficult  to  point  out  even  the  shadow  of  a  mis- 
take. Nor  was  Jackson  the  tactician  inferior  to 
Jackson  the  strategist.  Space  forbids  me  examin- 
ing the  salient  features  of  his  many  battles;  but 
from  Kernstown  to  Chancellorsville  the  same  char- 
acteristics almost  invariably  reappear.  Concentra- 
tion of  force  against  the  enemy's  weakest  point,  the 
employment  at  that  point  of  every  available  man 
and  gun,  a  close  combination  of  the  three  arms, 
infantry,  cavalry  and  artillery,  relentless  energy  in 
attack,  constant  countcrstroke  on  the  defensive, 
were  the  leading  principles  on  which  he  acted ;  and 
here  again  he  was  Napoleonic  to  the  core.  It  has 
been  said  that  the  leaders  of  the  Army  of  the  Poto- 
mac, as  Lincoln's  native  shrewdness  detected,  never 
"put  in  all  their  troops."  Even  Grant,  in  the  cam- 
paign of  1864,  failed,  except  at  Cold  Harbor,  in  this 
respect,  and  at  Cold  Harbor  the  troops  were  not 
put  in  at  the  enemy's  weak  point.     Here  Jackson 


596  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOxMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

never  blundered,  and  we  may  conipare  the  strength 
of  tlie  three  lines  which  crushed  Hooker's  left  at 
Chancellorsville  *  with  the  comparative  weakness 
of  the  assault  at  Gettysburg;  and  yet  the  Federal 
army  at  Chancellorsville  was  stronger  and  the  Con- 
federate weaker  than  on  July  3d.  It  is  true  that 
Jackson  was  not  invariably  tactically  successful. 
He  was  beaten  at  Kernstown,  although  that  action 
was  a  strategic  success;  his  advanced  guard  was 
roughly  handled  at  McDowell;  Port  Republic 
might  well  have  been  a  less  costly  victory,  and  at 
Frayser's  farm  his  delay  was  disastrous. 

To  my  mind,  however,  the  action  with  Gibbon  at 
Gainesville,  although  the  troops  behaved  magnifi- 
cently, was  the  only  occasion  on  which  Jackson 
showed  less  than  his  wonted  skill.  His  delay  at 
Frayser's  farm  is  explained  by  his  letter  to  Mrs. 
Jackson  (page  303).  Constant  rain  and  unhealthy 
bivouac  had  brought  on  an  attack  of  fever ;  but  at 
Gainesville  the  tactical  disposition  of  the  Confeder- 
ate forces  was  not  such  as  we  should  have  looked 
for.  It  was  purely  "a  hammer  and  tongs"  fight, 
carried  through  with  extraordinary  gallantry  by  the 
men,  but  with  no  manoeuvring  whatever  on  the  part 
of  the  Confederate  general. 

Nai)oleon,  however,  wrote,  "  I  have  made  so  many 
mistakes  that  I  have  learned  to  blush  for  them," 
and  the  specks  on  Jackson's  fame  as  a  tactician  are 
not  only  few  and  far  between,  but  may  generally  be 

*  I  havo  not  entered  into  the  vexed  question  of  whether  Lee  or 
Jackson  desisjned  this  movement,  and  I  am  convinced  in  my  own 
mind  that  both  saw  the  weak  point  in  the  Federal  dispositions,  just 
as  they  had  both  seen  the  weak  point  in  1862. 


CONFEDERATE    CAVALRY.  597 

attributed  to  the  .shortcomings  of  his  subordinates 
or  to  the  unavoidable  accidents  of  war.  One  point 
as  regards  Jackson's  tactical  skill  has  hardly 
received  sufficient  attention.  Although  his  whole 
knowledge  of  cavalry  was  purely  theoretical,  he 
liandled  his  squadrons  with  an  ability  which  no 
other  general  up  to  the  date  of  his  death  had  yet 
displayed.  I  am  not  alluding  merely  to  the  well- 
timed  charge  which  captured  Kenly's  retreating 
infantry  after  the  engagement  at  Front  Royal, 
although  that  in  itself  was  a  brilliant  piece  of 
leadership,  but  to  the  use  made  of  the  cavalry  in 
the  Valley  campaign.  It  is  true  that  Stuart  had 
already  done  good  work  in  1861,  but  as  a  general 
commanding  a  force  of  all  arms  Jackson  was  the 
first  to  draw  the  full  benefit  from  his  cavalry. 

"  The  manner,"  says  Lord  Wolseley,  "  in  which  he 
mystified  his  enemies  is  a  masterpiece."  It  was  not, 
however,  his  secrecy  regarding  his  plans  on  which 
he  principally  relied  to  keep  his  enemy  in  the  dark. 
Ashby's  squadrons  were  the  instrument.  Not  only 
was  a  screen  established  which  perfectly  concealed 
the  movements  of  the  Valley  army,  but  constant 
demonstrations  at  fur  distant  points  confused  and 
bewildered  the  Federal  commanders.  In  his  employ- 
ment of  cavalry  Jackson  was  in  advance  of  his  age. 
Such  tactics  had  not  been  seen  since  the  days  of 
I^apoleon.  The  Confederate  horsemen  in  the  Valley 
were  far  better  handled  than  those  of  France  or 
Austria  in  1859,  of  Prussia  or  Austria  in  1866,  of 
France  in  1870,  of  the  Allies  or  the  Russians  in  the 
Crimea.  In  Europe  the  teachings  of  Napoleon  had 
been  forgotten.     The  great  cloud  of  horsemen  which 


598  LIFE  or  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

veiled  the  marclies  of  the  Grand  Army  liad  vanished 
from  memory;  the  great  importance  ascribed  by  the 
emperor  to  procuring  early  information  of  his 
enemy  and  hiding  his  own  movements  had  been 
overlooked;  and  it  was  left  to  an  American  soldier 
to  revive  his  methods.  Nor  was  Jackson  led  awa}' 
by  the  specious  advantages  of  the  so-called  "raids."' 
In  hardly  a  single  instance  did  such  expeditions 
inflict  more  than  temporary  discomfort  on  the 
enemy,  and  more  than  once  an  army  was  left 
stranded  and  was  led  into  false  manoeuvres  for 
want  of  the  information  which  the  cavalry  would 
have  supplied. 

Hooker  at  Chancellorsville,  Lee  at  Gettysburg, 
Grant  at  Spottsylvania,  owed  defeat,  in  great  meas- 
ure, to  the  absence  of  their  mounted  troops.  In  the 
Yalley,  on  the  contrary,  success  was  made  possible 
because  the  cavalry  was  kept  to  its  legitimate  duty, 
that  is,  to  procure  information,  to  screen  all  move- 
ments, and  to  take  part  in  battle  at  the  decisive 
moment. 

Jackson  was  certainly  fortunate  when  Ashby 
came  under  his  command.  That  dashing  captain  of 
free  lances  was  a  most  valuable  colleague.  It  was 
much  to  have  a  cavalry  leader  who  could  not  only 
fight  and  reconnoitre,  but  who  had  capacity  enough 
to  divine  the  enemy's  intentions.  But  the  ideas  that 
governed  the  employment  of  cavalry  were  Jackson's 
alone.  He  it  was  who,  at  the  end  of  May,  placed 
the  squadrons  across  Fremont's  road  from  AVardcns- 
ville,  who  ordered  the  demonstrations  against  Banks 
and  those  whicli  caused  Fremont  to  retreat  after 
Port  Republic.    More  admirable  still  was  the  quick- 


REMARKABLE    CAMPAIGNS.  599 

ness  with  which  he  recognized  the  use  of  cavahy 
that  could  fight  dismounted.  From  tlie  Potomac  to 
Port  Republic  his  horsemen  covered  his  retreat, 
lining  every  stream  and  the  borders  of  every  wood, 
holding  on  to  every  crest  of  rising  ground,  check- 
ing the  pursuers  with  their  fire,  compelling  them  to 
deploy,  and  then  withdrawing  rapidly  to  the  next 
position.  Day  after  day  was  Fremont's  advanced 
guard  held  at  bay,  his  columns  delayed,  and  his  gen- 
erals irritated  by  their  slippery  foe.  Meanwhile  the 
Confederate  infantry,  falling  back  at  their  leisure, 
were  relieved  of  all  annoyance.  And  if  the  cavalry 
were  suddenly  driven  in,  support  was  invariably  at 
hand,  and  a  compact  brigade  of  infantry,  supported 
by  artillery,  quickly  sent  the  pursuers  to  the  right- 
about. The  retreat  of  the  Valley  army  was  man- 
aged with  the  same  skill  as  its  advance,  and  the 
rear-guard  tactics  of  the  campaign  are  no  less 
remarkable  than  those  of  the  attack. 

I  have  said  nothing  about  Jackson's  marches,  and, 
as  a  matter  of  fact,  while  he  managed  to  get  more 
out  of  his  men  than  any  other  commander  of  his 
time  his  marches  can  hardly  be  classed  as  extraordi- 
nary. They  certainly  do  not  exceed  those  made 
elsewhere;  and  if  it  be  asserted  that  the  Virginian 
roads  are  bad,  they  could  hardly  have  been  more 
infamous  than  those  travelled  by  both  the  French 
and  English  troops  in  Spain  and  Portugal ;  and  yet 
the  marches  in  the  Peninsula,  on  very  many  occa- 
sions, were  longer  and  more  rapid  than  those  of 
"the  foot  cavalry." 

When  Jackson  fell  at  Chancellorsville,  his  mili- 
tary career  had  only  just  begun,  and  the  question. 


600  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

what  place  he  takes  in  history,  is  hardly  so  pertinent 
as  the  question,  what  place  he  could  have  taken  had 
he  been  spared.  So  far  as  his  opportunities  had  per- 
mitted, he  had  shown  himself  in  no  way  inferior 
to  the  greatest  generals  of  the  century,  to  "Welling- 
ton, to  Napoleon  or  to  Lee.  That  Jackson  was  equal 
to  the  highest  demands  of  strategy  his  deeds  and 
conceptions  show ;  that  he  was  equal  to  the  task  of 
handling  a  large  army  on  the  field  of  battle  must 
be  left  to  conjecture ;  but  throughout  the  whole  of 
his  soldier's  life  he  was  never  intrusted  with  any 
detached  mission  which  he  failed  to  execute  with 
complete  success.  No  general  made  fewer  mistakes. 
No  general  so  persistently  outwitted  his  opponents. 
No  general  better  understood  the  use  of  ground  or 
the  value  of  time.  No  general  was  more  highly, 
endowed  with  courage,  both  physical  and  moral, 
and  none  ever  secured  to  a  greater  degree  the  trust 
and  affection  of  his  troops.  And  yet,  so  upright 
was  his  life,  so  profound  his  faith,  so  exquisite  his 
tenderness,  that  Jackson's  many  victories  are  almost 
his  least  claim  to  be  ranked  amongst  the  world's 
true  heroes. 


-^,?./l//£uku^. 


Note. — On  page  596  I  excused  Jackson's  inaction  at  the  battle 
of  Fraysers  Farm  by  saying  that  he  had  fever  at  the  time.  Since 
writing  this  I  have  studied  the  Battles  of  the  Seven  Days,  and  the 
difficulties  and  circumstances  in  Jackson's  report  in  greater  detail, 
and  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  Jsickson  could  not  have  joined 
in  the  battle,  and  that  he  was  perfectly  right  in  not  attempting  to 
throw  his  infantry  over  "White  Oak  Swamp  in  the  face  of  Frank- 
lin's troops. 


GENERAL  STONEWALL  JACKSON. 

An  Autograph  Letter  from  Viscount  (General)  Wolseley, 

Commander-in-Chief  op  the  Armies 

OF  Great  Britain. 


7 


,''*.M/V 


602  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 


_  ♦ 


^z" 


4-w 


/4  «:«A^w.-t,^i:t5^  "^^^  c-crti^,>*.J)r^^=i*^ 


EXAMPLE  OF  STRATEGY.  60^ 

■  ^^ 

;^<fc.  ^1*  *^  J  •  y  .-*r^n^   <LC\XA.    ^---vw*. 


604  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 


<::c^R!SfiL 


.  Ju^-^f^ 


2-v  Ixrt^j^   *^ 


A^ 


INCIDENTS 

IN    THE 

LIFE  OF  STONEWALL  JACKSON 

By  Major-General  M.  C.  Butler. 

(Commanded  Division  of  Cavalry  Army  of  Noitl.eru  Virginia.) 

Some  years  ago,  dining  with  a  l)rother  senator 
in  Washington,  a  distinguished  officer  of  high  rank 
in  the  United  States  Army  sat  on  my  left.  He 
turned  and  asked  me  if  I  had  ever  met  Stonewall 
J  ackson.  Replying  in  the  affirmative,  he  said :  "  I 
regard  it  one  of  the  misfortunes  of  my  life  never  to 
have  met  him.  He  was  easily  the  greatest  military 
genius  on  either  side  in  our  late  war." 

Coming  from  a  soldier  distinguished  himself  in 
the  United  States  Army  and  connected  with  one  of 
the  most  distinguished  of  the  Federal  generals,  I 
could  not  avoid  surprise,  and,  at  the  same  time,  felt 
gratified  to  find  so  competent  a  judge  coinciding 
with  my  own  opinion. 

I  thereupon  related  an  incident  which  came  with- 
in my  personal  knowledge,  illustrative  of  General 
Jackson's  character. 

In  one  of  the  great  hattles  in  Virginia,  General 
Jackson  had  ordered  two  hrigadc  commanders, 
brigadiers  of  infiintry,  to  attack  a  very  strong  posi- 
tion indicated  by  him.  To  one  unacquainted  with 
bis  plans  and  purposes  it  did  look  like  desperation 


606  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

and  slaughter  to  the  attacking  columns,  and  the 
two  general  officers  rode  up  to  General  Jackson  to 
protest. 

He  drew  himself  up  and  said:  "Gentlemen, 
when  I  receive  orders  it  is  my  habit  to  obey  them, 
and  when  I  give  orders  I  expect  them  to  be  obeyed." 
This  ended  the  interview. 

The  two  officers  put  their  commands  in  motion, 
moved  to  the  attack,  and  carried  the  point  at  which 
General  Jackson  was  aiming.  These  two  brigades 
were  to  play  a  certain  part  in  a  general  plan,  and 
they  did  so  brilliantly  and  successfully,  without  very 
great  loss. 

There  was  a  charm  about  General  Jackson  which 
inspired  all  private  soldiers  under  his  command  with 
a  sublime,  unquestioned  confidence  in  his  leadership, 
an  indescribable  something,  amounting  almost  to  fas- 
cination on  the  part  of  his  soldiers,  that  induced  them 
to  do  uncomplainingly  whatever  he  would  order. 
It  was  not  the  inspiration  of  fear,  but  a  deep  and 
abiding  devotion  to  his  person,  to  his  character,  to 
his  matchless  and  unerring  leadership  and  self- 
sacrifice. 

It  is  therefore  not  surprising  that,  when  the 
Grand  Army  of  Korthern  Virginia,  whose  history 
he  had  done  so  much  to  immortalize,  learned  of  his 
mortal  wound  and  death,  a  gloom  of  sincere  sorrow 
and  grief  sank  deep  into  our  hearts.  Tbc  feelings 
of  his  grim  veterans,  so  accustomed  to  suffering, 
carnage  and  death,  melted  into  the  tcnderest  pathos 
over  the  loss  of  their  great  and  peerless  commander 
and  comrade. 


GENERAL  JACKSON 


ONE    OF    THE 


WORLD'S  GREATEST  SOLDIERS. 

By  Major-Gknekal  Fitziiugh  Lke. 

(Commanded  the  Cavalry  Corps  Army  of  Northern  Virginia,  Ex-Governor  of 
Virginia.) 

Thomas  J.  Jackson's  name  has  been  enrolled 
upon  the  pages  of  history  as  one  of  the  greatest 
soldiers  the  Avorld  has  produced.  His  fame,  fanned 
rapidly  into  existence  by  the  fierce  fires  of  battle, 
sufters  no  diminution  by  the  revolution  of  the  hands 
on  the  clock  of  time,  or  by  comparison  with  the 
records  made  by  other  military  heroes. 

A  singular  boyhood  developed  into  a  wonderful 
manhood.  Nature  richly  endowed  him  with  pluck, 
pertinacity,  stubbornness  of  purpose,  determination, 
vast  energy,  and  great  faith  in  himself.  These 
original  foundation  stones  being  securely  laid,  upon 
them  he,  and  he  alone,  constructed  a  famous  super- 
structure. 

Great  soldiers  have  been  molded  into  shape  by 
the  watchful  care  of  noble  mothers.  Jackson  when 
seven  years  old  had  no  mother,  when  three  no 
father.  His  future  career  was  sustained  by  the 
dying  prayers  of  the  mother.  Whether  as  a  little 
boy  of  nine  attempting  to  cut  firewood  on  an  island 


608  LIF.E  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

on  the  Mississippi,  or  whether  occupied  with  hia 
uncle  in  agricultural  labor,  or  during  his  "West  Point 
cadet  life,  or  on  the  burning  sands  of  old  Mexico, 
or  amid  the  showers  of  shot  and  shell  in  the  "  War 
between  the  States,"  his  strong  native  tendencies 
were  ever  greatly  strengthened  by  this  mother's 
supplications. 

From  a  youth  thus  sustained  came  a  remarkable 
man  and  a  bold,  active,  vigilant  soldier.  The  in- 
born genius  slept  in  the  early  days  of  labor ;  the 
capacity  was  there,  but  obscured  during  the  orphan's 
trials. 

He  started  at  the  bottom  of  the  West  Point 
ladder,  and,  though  weighted  with  disadvantages, 
climbed  higher  and  higher  each  year,  until  at  the 
end  of  his  four  years'  course  he  was  near  the  position 
occupied  by  those  foremost  in  his  class. 

Wearing  the  red  shoulder  straps  of  a  young  officer 
of  artillery,  he  rapidly  distinguished  himself  in  the 
Mexican  War,  and  by  his  coolness,  sagacity  and 
services  came  out  of  the  war  with  a  brilliant  repu- 
tation as  a  subaltern. 

Owing  to  these  qualifications,  three  years  after- 
wards the  Board  of  Visitors  of  the  Virginia  Military 
Institute  offered  him  a  professorship  over  such  pro- 
posed names  as  McClellan,  Rosecrans  and  G.  W. 
Smith. 

From  1851  to  1861,  ten  years,  his  life  was  not 
eventful ;  but  in  the  three  years  thereafter  the 
renown  of  a  comparatively  unknown  professor  ex- 
tended to  the  limits  of  the  civilized  world.  War 
quickly  developed  his  latent  talent.  The  echoes  of 
almost   the  first   gun  were  filled  with  his  achieve- 


SAVED  MANASSAS.  609 

ments.     General  R.  E.  Lee,  as  early  as  the  3d  of 
July,  1861,  wrote : 

"KiCHMOND,   Va. 

"  My  Dear  General, — I  have  the  pleasure  of  send- 
ing you  a  commission  of  Brigadier-General  in  the 
Provisional  Army;  and  to  feel  that  you  merit  it. 
May  your  advancement  increase  your  usefulness  to 
the  State.  Very  truly, 

"  li.  E.  Lee." 

Scarcely  two  weeks  elapsed  before  Lee's  wishes 
were  confirmed;  the  first  battle  of  Manassas  had 
been  fought,  and  in  its  fiery  furnace  Thomas  J. 
Jackson  was  forever  christened  Stonewall. 

The  march  of  his  brigade  in  that  contest  towards 
the  point  of  contact,  and  the  selection  of  a  new 
line  of  battle  at  right  angles  to  tlie  former  one,  on 
which  the  shattered  troops  which  first  encountered 
McDowell's  victorious  turning  columns  could  rally, 
and  upon  which  fresh  troops  could  form,  gave  the 
battle  to  the  Southern  troops. 

Jackson  changed  his  position  with  military  sagac- 
ity, but  loithout  oflicial  orders.     He  saved  Manassas. 

His  wonderful  campaign  in  the  Valley,  when  four 
hostile  armies  were  converging  to  overthrow  him, 
is  in  itself  a  marvellous  exhibition  of  military  genius. 

McDowell,  who  was  advancing  from  Fredericks- 
burg to  unite  with  McClellan,  was  ordered  to 
countermarch  because  Washington  was  thought  to 
be  in  danger.  The  absence  of  some  twenty  thou- 
sand men  who  might  have  been  thrown  by  the  Fed- 
eral commander  on  his  right  flank  at  Eichmoiid, 
enveloping  the  Confederate  left,  was  due  to  the  brill- 
39 


610      LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

iaut  V'alley  tactics  of  "  Stonewall."  Jackson  saved 
Richmond. 

At  the  second  Manassas,  when  he  was  placed  by 
Lee's  orders  twenty-six  miles  in  rear  of  Pope's  line 
of  battle,  he  displayed  a  masterly  ability  in  defeating 
Pope's  efforts  to  concentrate  his  army  on  him  until 
he  was  in  position  to  unite  with  Longstreet,  who 
had  been  ordered  to  march  through  Thoroughfare 
Gap. 

His  capture  of  Harper's  Ferry  and  his  services  at 
Sharpsburg  largely  added  to  his  fame.  At  Freder- 
icksburg he  commanded  the  right  wing  of  the  army, 
and  easily  repulsed  Franklin's  attack  at  Hamilton's 
Crossing;  and  at  his  last  great  battle  at  Chancel- 
lorsville  his  successful  flank  march  has  gone  into 
history  as  the  greatest  of  his  splendid  achievements. 
The  commanding  general's  loss  was  irreparnble, 
and  he  was  never  able  to  wholly  fill  the  vacant 
commission.  Three  corps,  under  Longstreet,  Ewell 
and  Hill,  replaced  the  two  formerly  commanded  by 
Longstreet  and  Jackson. 

There  were  many  who  thought  J.  E.  B.  Stuart, 
the  Confederate  cavalry  commander,  could  have 
best  wielded  the  dead  warrior's  sword.  Stuart  had 
personal  courage,  great  endurance,  ceaseless  activity, 
never  failing  vigilance,  dash,  was  pugnacious  and 
combative,  quick  to  conceive  and  prompt  to  exe- 
cute. But  there  could  never  be  but  one  Stonewall 
.Jackson.  When  he  was  lost  Lee's  right  arm  was 
broken  forever. 

The  vigor  of  his  blows,  the  faith  of  his  ukmi,  his 
own  belief  in  the  star  of  his  destiny,  the  Napoleonic 
audacity,  the  celerity  of  movement,  the  sublimity  of 


HEAVEN-BORN  GENERAL.  Gil 

his  hope  in  God  and  liis  cause,  never  reappeared  in 
another. 

"  Had  I  had  Stonewall  Jackson  at  Gettysburg," 
said  Lee,  "I  would  have  won  a  great  victory;" 
and  a  decisive  victory  there  would  have  made  what 
Jackson  was  fighting  for — two  republics  grow  in 
America  where  only  one  grew  before. 

If  he  had  commanded  Lee's  right  corps  in  that 
struggle,  the  "  Round  Tops"  and  adjoining  ridge 
would  have  been  seized  at  a  very  early  hour  on  the 
second  day,  for  there  were  no  Federal  troo[»s  then 
there  to  make  resistance.  It  was  simply  a  question 
of  rapid  marching  from  camp,  which  was  "  Stone- 
wall Jackson's  way."  If  he  had  commanded  Lee's 
left  corps  at  Gettysburg,  it  is  most  probable  the 
heights  in  front  of  the  town  would  have  been  oc- 
cupied in  the  afternoon  of  the  first  day's  encounter. 
The  great  battle  would  have  been  fought  on  another 
field.     Jackson  could  have  saved  Gettysburg. 

It  has  been  said  that  Stonewall  Jackson  could 
not  have  commanded  mighty  armies  involving  the 
possession  of  great  strategic  skill,  or  plan  a  great 
campaign,  but  the  ready  reply  comes,  the  greater 
his  command  the  greater  his  success;  and  like 
Napoleon,  it  may  be  said  of  him,  tiiat  if  his  enemies 
"would  beat  him  they  must  imitate  him." 

The  crisis  of  greatness  has  been  defined  as 
"that  nice  line  in  the  career  of  genius  when  doubt 
and  envy  cease  and  the  popular  admiration  becomes 
irresistible."  Jackson  may  have  "marked  time" 
before  it,  but  the  command  forward  was  early  given 
and  he  crossed  it.  The  English  called  him  a 
"Heaven-born  General;"  and    in  Scotland  the  car 


612 


LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 


conductors  opening  the  doors  of  the  compartments 
announced  to  the  passengers  his  death.  People 
everywhere,  in  every  cHme,  are  familiar  with  his 
exploits. 

In  the  American  republic  Thomas  J.  Jackson 
securely  stands  in  the  front  rank,  side  by  side  with 
her  greatest  soldiers.  ^ 


STATUE    OF   GENEHAL   JACKSON,    I-EXIN(iTON,    VA. 
(See  (losciiptioii  page  I):}?.) 


HARPER'S  FERRY. 

By  Captain  Joseph  G.  Morrison. 

(Aide-de-Camp  ou  General  Jackson's  Staff.) 

The  veterans  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia 
will  always  remember  Harper's  Ferry.  It  was  a 
salient  point  during  the  war,  and  before  the  war  it 
was  chosen  by  the  anarchist,  John  Brown,  as  a 
strategic  point ;  a  point  where  the  first  blood  of  the 
impending  conflict  should  flow.  Brown's  object  in 
selecting  this  unpretentious  village  was  its  being  the 
seat  of  the  United  States  Arsenal.  Here  were  man- 
ufactured and  stored  the  government's  supply  of 
arms;  and  the  fanatical  idea  was,  that  "Uncle  Sam" 
should  furnish  the  implements  and  the  slaves  of 
old  Virginia  the  sinews  of  war;  and  they  had  only 
to  flock  to  his  standard  and  receive  the  implements 
of  death.  As  is  well  remembered.  Brown  and 
his  accomplices  were  hung ;  but  Harper's  Ferry,  thus 
made  conspicuous,  was  ever  afterwards  prominent 
in  the  annals  of  the  war.  It  was  here  "  Stonewall" 
Jackson  first  came  to  the  front.  As  Major  Jackson, 
of  the  Virginia  Military  Institute,  he  took  the  corps 
of  cadets  to  Harper's  Ferry  to  put  down  the  insur- 
rection, and  remained  until  after  Brown's  execution. 
Again,  on  the  19th  of  April,  1861,  when  the  war 
was  inaugurated,  Jackson  arrived  at  Harper's  Ferry, 
with  a  commission  of  colonel  from  the  Governor  of 


61-1:      LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

Virginia,  and  took  command  of  the  forces  of  volnn- 
teer  troops  assembled  there. 

Before  proceeding  to  narrate  some  of  the  events 
that  occurred  here,  a  description  of  the  i»laco  might 
l)e  interesting.  The  village  is  triangular  in  shape 
and  is  located  at  the  juncture  of  the  Potomac  and 
the  Shenandoah  rivers.  These  rivers,  on  uniting, 
force  their  way  through  a  precipitous  gorge  in  the 
Blue  Ridge  Mountains.  On  the  north  of  the  village 
and  across  the  Potomac  is  a  cliff  several  hundred 
feet  high,  jutting  close  uj)  to  the  town,  known  as 
Maryland  Heights.  On  the  south  and  across  the 
Shenandoah  is  a  similar  cliff,  not  quite  so  high  or 
grand  in  appearance  as  its  vis-a-i'>is,  known  as  Lou- 
doun Heights. 

On  the  west,  stretching  from  the  Potomac  to 
the  Shenandoah,  is  a  rolling  ridge  known  as 
Bolivar  Heights.  The  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Rail- 
road passes  down  the  right  bank  of  the  Potomac 
to  the  village,  where,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Shenan- 
doah, it  crosses  to  the  left  bank,  passing  through  the 
gorge  to  Washington.  The  Chesapeake  and  Ohio 
Canal  also  passes  down  the  left  bank  of  the  Potomac. 
On  these  two  great  thoroughfares  Washington  and 
Baltimore  depend  in  a  great  measure  for  their  sup- 
plies. When  Jackson  took  command  at  Harper's 
Ferry,  his  force  consisted  of  about  twenty-five 
hundred  infantry,  a  few  companies  of  cavalry  and 
fifteen  pieces  of  artiller}-. 

This  force  had  been  hastily  gotten  together  from 
the  volunteer  companies  of  the  State  and  partly 
from  other  States.  They  were  citizen  soldiery,  with- 
out drill  or  discipline,  and  armed  partly  with  what 


STONEWALL  BRIGADE  FORMED.  615 

arms  were  found  in  the  government  arsenal;  but  as 
most  of  the  arms  of  value  had  been  removed  to 
Washington,  many  of  the  troops  had  shot-guns  and 
sporting  rifles.  Jackson  realized  fully  the  work 
that  was  before  him.  With  this  volunteer  militia 
he  would  soon  have  to  meet  the  United  States  Reg- 
ular Army,  well-armed  and  c(|ui})ped  soldiers.  And 
it  was  here,  more  if  possible  than  subsequently,  that 
Jackson  proved  himself  to  be  a  genius  in  war,  an  or- 
ganizer and  a  disciplinarian.  Here  the  "Stonewall " 
Brig-ade  was  formed.  It  was  then  called  the  First 
Brigade  and  w^as  formed  and  drilled  by  Jackson  in 
person.  Whilst  drilling  was  constantly  going  on,  a 
force  of  men  were  engaged  in  removing  the  valua- 
ble machinery  for  manufacturing  arms  to  Rich- 
mond. After  this  was  accomplished  the  place  was 
no  longer  valuable  to  the  Confederacy,  and  on  the 
19th  of  June,  being  threatened  on  the  left  and  rear 
by  General  Patterson,  it  was  evacuated,  Jackson 
retiring  to  Winchester,  thirty  miles  distant.  The 
Federals  now  took  possession  and  strongly  forti- 
fied Bolivar  Heights,  and  for  over  a  year  they  held 
the  place. 

During  this  time  Jackson  had  fought  and  defeated, 
in  succession,  the  commands  of  Milroy,  Banks, 
Shields,  Fremont  and  Pope,  and  the  invasion  of 
Maryland  was  on.  Jackson's  command  crossed  the 
Potomac  into  Maryland,  near  Leesburg,  on  the  5th 
of  September,  1862,  and  on  the  10th  of  September 
was  encamped  near  Frederick  City.  It  was  here 
that  General  Lee  and  General  Jackson  had  a  "coun- 
cil of  war,"  and  Harper's  Ferry  was  the  subject  of 
discussion. 


616      LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

It  was  then  occupied  by  Generals  White  and  Miles 
of  the  Federal  Army  with  11,000  men,  who  were 
strongly  fortified  and  were  in  such  location  in 
General  Lee's  rear  and  flank  that  they  could  annoy 
his  communications  with  Richmond  and  the  Shen. 
andoah  Valley.  The  result  of  the  conference  was 
that  a  bold  attempt  should  be  made  to  capture  or 
destroy  the  garrison  at  Harpers  Ferry.  With  Lee 
and  Jackson  no  sooner  was  a  plan  formed  than  it 
was  executed.  McLaws,  Anderson  and  J.  G.  Walker 
were  detailed  to  act  in  concert  with  Jackson,  who 
was  to  command  the  expedition.  General  Lee,  with 
D.  H.  Hill  and  the  balance  of  his  army,  was  to  hold 
off"  McClellan.  McLaws  and  Anderson  marched 
via  Burkittsville  and  Pleasant  Valley  to  Maryland 
Heights,  and  drove  the  Federal  pickets  from  the 
heights  into  the  town   on   the   13th  of  September. 

Walker  was  to  recross  the  Potomac  and  occupy 
Loudoun  Heights,  which  he  did  ;  attempting  first  to 
cross  at  Cheek's  Ford,  but  meeting  with  resistance, 
crossed  at  the  Point  of  Rocks  and  reached  Loudoun 
Heights  on  the  13th.  Jackson,  with  his  own  corps, 
consisting  of  the  divisions  of  Ewell,  A.  P.  Hill  and 
Taliaferro,  marched  from  Frederick  via  Boones- 
boro,  and  crossed  the  Potomac  at  Light's  Ford,  near 
Williamsport,  and  struck  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio 
Railroad  at  Xorth  Mountain  depot;  pushing  down 
the  railroad  to  Martinsburg,  where  General  White 
was  encamped  with  a  brigade  of  infantry. 

White,  seeing  Jackson's  approach  in  force  from 
the  west,  retired  to  Bolivar  Heights,  and  Jackson 
arrived  opposite  their  fortified  camp  by  noon  of  the 
13th. 


MARYLAND  HEIGHTS.  617 

Immediately  on  arriving  Jackson  threw  out  sig- 
nals for  McLaws  and  Walker,  and  finding  them  both 
imposition  began  preparations  for  attack.  Their 
position  on  Bolivar  was  very  strong  and  to  attack 
directly  from  the  front  would  entail  a  fearful  loss  of 
life,  even  if  successful.  The  evening  of  the  13th 
and  all  of  the  14th  was  spent  in  reconnoitring  and 
massing  the  troops  in  the  best  positions.  McLaws 
and  Walker  were  ready  for  the  fray,  but  they  could 
fight  only  with  artillery.  McLaws  had  hauled  by 
hand  two  Parrott  guns  to  the  top  of  Maryland 
Heights  and  Walker  had  pulled  also  l)y  hand  a 
whole  battery  to  the  top  of  Loudoun. 

In  front  of  Bolivar  Jackson  had  placed  in  posi- 
tion the  batteries  of  Poague,  Carpenter,  Latimer, 
Mcintosh,  Davidson,  Braxton  and  Crenshaw.  It 
was  not  until  the  night  of  the  14th  that  his  plans 
were  fully  formed.  During  that  night  he  sent  his 
chief  of  artillery,  Colonel  S.  Crutclifield,  with  ten 
guns  of  Ewell's  division,  across  the  Shenandoah  to 
take  position  on  the  western  slopes  of  Loudoun 
Heights.  The  position  taken  by  these  guns,  while 
not  taken  until  the  last  moment,  was  the  key  to  the 
situation.  They  took  the  place  of  Jackson's  usual 
flank  movement.  They  were  not  only  just  the  right 
height  to  throw  shot  efifectually,  but  completely  en- 
filaded the  enemy's  breastworks  and  trenches. 

At  daylight  of  the  15th,  as  soon  as  the  lifting  fog 
revealed  the  dark  lines  of  the  enemy,  a  sharp  ring 
of  a  rifled  cannon  from  the  top  of  Maryland  Heights, 
followed  as  by  an  echo  from  Loudoun  and  taken  up 
by  Crutchfield,  told  that  the  work  had  begun.  The 
enemy  replied  with  spirit.     They  had  seventy -three 


618  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

pieces  of  artillery,  one  battery  being  siege  guns  or 
thirty-pounder  Parrotts,  but  the  elevated  position  of 
McLaws  and  Walker  gave  them  decidedly  the  droj), 
not  only  on  the  big  guns  but  on  the  whole  Federal 
line. 

Crutchfield's  guns,  taking  the  enemy  in  reverse, 
did  terrific  execution.  It  now  was  only  a  question 
of  time  and  ammunition  for  these  guns  to  do  the 
work.  Nearly  every  shot  told  and  they  came  thick 
and  fast.  The  enemy  shifted  to  take  every  possible 
advantage  of  such  ground  as  would  shield  them, 
and  if  they  could  only  hold  out  until  evening,  Mc- 
Clellan  wouid  come  to  the  rescue  ;  he  was  even  then 
threatening  McLaws'  rear.  D.  II.  Hill  had  heroic- 
ally held  him  in  check  at  the  South  Mountain  Pass 
on  the  previous  evening  ;  but  Hill  could  not  hold  at 
bay  McClellan's  whole  army,  and  retired  at  night- 
fall before  it.  Through  his  signal  corps  Jackson 
received  hourly  messages  of  McClellan's  approach 
and  position. 

At  10  A.  M.,  when  the  artillery  had  seemed  to  ac- 
complish as  much  as  desired,  or  McClellan's  advance 
was  getting  hazardous,  Jackson  rode  to  A.  P.  Ilill, 
who  commanded  his  leading  division,  and  said : 
"General  Hill,  charge  and  give  them  the  bayonet." 
Hill  was  a  soldier  of  few  words.  lie  merely  bowed 
and  turned  towards  his  command.  Before  riding  a 
dozen  paces,  he  motioned  to  a  trooper  in  his  escort, 
and  from  the  trooper's  bugle  rang  out  "the  ad- 
vance!" Now,  for  it!  The  men  sprang  forward 
with  wonderful  alacrity.  They  ex})ected  nothing 
but  shot  and  canister.  The  enemy  seemed  more  in 
commotion,  doubtless  anticipating  the  work  before 


FEDERALS  CHEERED  LUSTILY.  619 

them.  Suddenly  a  white  flag  was  seen  on  their 
works.  What  coukl  it  mean?  tSurely  not  surrender! 
That  fl.ag  was  looked  at  with  distrust. 

About  this  time  the  officer  in  command  of  the 
garrison  received  a  death  wound.  Some  claimed 
that  the  shot  which  killed  him  was  flred  after  the 
white  flag  was  hoisted,  but  if  this  were  so  it  was 
because  the  smoke  before  some  of  the  guns  was  so 
dense  that  the  flag  was  not  seen. 

Jackson  and  A.  P.  Hill  moved  forward  to  receive 
the  surrender.  They  had  been  watching  the  efltect 
of  the  shot  and  probably  anticipated  it  more  than 
the  line.  The  Federals  stacked  their  arms  and  took 
position  in  line  a  few  paces  to  the  rear  of  their 
guns.  As  General  Jackson  rode  with  his  statt' 
through  the  Federal  lines  they  gazed  with  curiosity, 
then  began  to  lift  their  caps,  and  finally  cheered 
lustily.  Jackson  raised  his  old  gray  cap  and  gal- 
loped down  into  the  village,  directing  A.  P.  Hill  to 
receive  the  surrender. 

This  was  probably  the  largest  capture  made  by 
the  Confederates  during  the  war.  Eleven  thousand 
prisoners,  thirteen  thousand  stand  of  arms,  seventy- 
three  pieces  of  artillery,  Ix'sides  abundant  supplies 
of  ordnance,  medical  and  commissary  stores,  were 
the  fruits  of  this  victory. 

Two  days  later,  during  the  battle  of  Shari)sburg, 
Jackson's  men  were  using  these  same  guns  and 
ammunition  against  McClellan,  and  whilst  fighting 
that  battle  were  living  upon  their  rations  and  using 
their  medical  stores  for  the  relief  of  the  wounded. 
More  than  once  during  Jackson's  Valley  campaigns 
did  this  occur. 


620  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

After  the  battle  of  Sharpsburg,  Harper's  Ferry 
was  again  occupied  by  the  Federals,  and  from  then 
until  the  close  of  the  war  they  were  permitted  to 
study  the  beauties  of  nature  and  to  meditate  upon 
what  was  and  what  might  have  been. 


STATUE    OK    (iKXEKAL   JACKSON,    HI(  IIMOND.    VA. 
(See  (lesciiption  page  liM. 


"STONEWALL"  JACKSON. 

By  Colonkl  F.  W.  M.  Holliday.  « 

(Ex-Governor  of  Virginia.) 

Most  of  the  actors  in  the  world's  drama  arc  those 
who  come  and  go  and  perform  their  work  without 
enchaining  our  highest  attention  and  admiration. 
Now  and  then  an  individual  appears  marking  his 
advent  and  stay  with  evidences  of  marvellous 
superiority  to  his  contemporaries  in  some  high 
sphere  of  human  action.  We  can  not  always  define 
by  name  his  splendid  traits  and,  for  want  of  a  bet- 
ter term,  we  say  he  is  gifted  among  mortals  with 
genius.  Such  was  "Stonewall"  Jackson;  he  was 
conspicuously  and  startlingly   the   very   genius   of 

war. 

Save  his  experience  in  Mexico,  where  he  gave 
promise  of  his  coming  greatness,  he  led  a  retired 
and  unobtrusive  life  of  peace ;  but  whilst  thus  un- 
obtrusive and  seemingly  unaspiring,  his  vigorous 
and  incisive  intellect  did  not  rest,  nor  his  towering 
ambition  to  achieve  things  good  and  great  slumber. 

*  Colonel  F.  W.  M.  Holliday  commanded  the  Thirty-third  Vir- 
ginia Infantry,  was  assigned  to  General  Jac^kson's  brigade  and  was 
with  him  on  every  march  and  in  every  fight,  without  the  loss  of  a 
single  day,  until  ho  lost  his  right  arm  at  the  battle  of  "Cedar  Run  " 
or  "  Slaughter  Mountain."  Unfitted  on  the  field  by  this  loss  and 
sickness,  he  was  elected  to  the  Second  Confederate  Congress  and  was 
a  member  at  the  time  of  the  surrender;  was  Governor  of  Virginia 
1878-1882. 


622  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

He  made  no  display  of  either,  but  pursued  the  even 
tenor  of  his  way,  modestly  but  faithfully  perform- 
ing all  things  that  were  given  him  to  do,  his  lofty 
qualities  being  known  only  to  those  who  knew 
him  well. 

But  the  opportunity  in  due  time  came  with  the 
coming  of  the  Confederate  War.  Carrying  the 
cause  in  his  mind  and  upon  his  heart,  he  went 
among  the  earliest  into  the  arm}'  to  vindicate  it. 
Fortunately  for  both,  lie  was  assigned  to  a  brigade 
composed  of  the  elite  of  the  young  men  in  every 
walk  and  sphere  in  the  Valley  of  Virginia,  from 
Harper's  Ferry  to  Bristol.  He  and  his  men  seemed, 
like  kindred  spirits,  to  sympathize  from  the  begin- 
ning, and  in  the  iirst  great  battle,  by  their  heroic 
courage  and  fortitude,  conferred  upon  him  the  name 
which  he  ever  after  bore,  and  which  he,  in  turn, 
lifted  to  an  immortality  of  fame. 

It  was  my  fortune  and  fate  to  have  been  a  mem- 
ber of  that  brigade.  I  was  thrown  much  with  its 
commander  and  knew  him  in  the  privacy  of  his 
tent  and  by  his  side  ilf)on  the  march  and  in  the  fury 
of  the  fight.  In  the  former,  he  was  ever  the  intelli- 
gent, self-contained  and  earnest  gentleman,  spend- 
ing no  idle  time,  studying  the  field  of  his  operations 
and  mastering  the  details  of  his  work ;  in  the  lat- 
ter he  was  the  same,  his  faculties  not  excited,  only 
exalted,  by  the  imminence  of  the  position  or  of  the 
crisis  and  in  perfect  self-possession  commanding  the 
situation. 

In  the  quiet  of  his  liea(l(|uartcrs  his  plans  were 
formed,  slowly  perhaps,  but  with  intense  study. 
"When  formed,  he  was  ready  ;  ordering  his  tent  to 


STRUCK  WITH  SWIFTNESS.  623 

be  struck  and  putting  himselt'  at  the  head  of  his 
columns,  with  unbounded  confidence  in  liimself  and 
his  men,  who  reciprocated  that  confidence,  he 
moved  and  struck  with  the  swiftness  and  fierceness 
of  an  eagle  upon  his  quarry.  And  victory  always 
followed. 

In  two  years'  time  he  rose  from  comparative 
obscurity  into  world-wide  renown,  and  his  fame 
girdled  the  earth.  So  modest  and  retiring  and  self- 
denying  had  been  his  life,  that  with  each  promotion 
apprehension  prevailed  that  he  might  not  be  equal 
to  a  higher  and  more  enlarged  arena;  but  his  abili- 
ties showed  themselves  greater  than  his  field  of 
action,  and  he  rose  from  station  to  station,  adding 
fresh  laurels  to  his  crow^n  of  victory  till  reliance  in 
him  became  supreme  and  men's  heads  grew  dizzy 
as  they  tried  to  follow  "  the  bright  track  of  his  fiery 
car." 

True  greatness  never  ceases  to  command  admira- 
tion. It  grows  with  the  lapse  of  years,  which  scru- 
tinizes its  elements  and,  sifting  its  adventitious,  pre- 
serves its  real,  qualities.  Nearly  a  century  has  gone 
since  Washington  and  N'apoleon  acted  their  part, 
but  the  longing  to  know  them  increases,  and  data 
are  gathered  from  every  quarter  to  learn  the  sources 
of  their  power.  The  latter,  in  the  contemplation  of 
their  respective  careers,  said  the  fame  of  his  illus- 
trious contemporary  would  wax,  whilst  his  would 
wane.  Time  has  proven  that  he  was  right.  iSTo 
one  disputes  the  amazing  intellectual  genius  of 
Xapoleon,  whilst  deploring  his  moral  weakness;  all 
bow  with  spontaneous  admiration  before  the  colos- 
sal   character    of  Washington,  blending  the    intel- 


624  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  THOMAS  J.  JACKSON. 

lectual  and  the  moral  in  almost  sublime  propor- 
tions. 

"  Stonewall "  Jackson,  like  the  truly  great,  will 
likewise  grow  greater  with  the  centuries.  He  had 
all  the  brilliant  military  genius  of  Napoleon,  and, 
considering  the  brief  duration  of  his  career, 
achieved  more  marvels  in  the  field  of  arms.  He 
had  the  moral  qualities  of  Washington.  His  life 
was  stainless  even  of  a  suspicion,  while  it  was 
full  of  the  sweetest  and  gentlest  charities,  and  his 
burning  patriotism  was  swallowed  up  in  his  relig- 
ious faith. 

History  will  be  full  to  bursting  of  his  public  work 
and  his  name  will  widen  with  the  ages.  His  deeds 
will  become  a  school,  in  which  the  science  of  war 
will  be  studied,  and  volumes  will  be  written  upon 
his  methods  and  his  character. 

But  the  profounder  student  will  want  to  know, 
and  the  world  at  large,  whose  common  sentiment  is 
at  last  more  searching  than  the  learned,  what  was 
the  private  life  of  this  martial  wonder?  How 
often  genius  alone  fails  to  stand  the  turning  on  of 
that  keen  light! 

His  wife  alone,  most  competent  to  know,  has  told 
us  this  with  beautiful  and  winning  simplicity  and 
grace,  in  the  story  of  that  inner  life ;  how  true,  how 
modest,  hoAv  devoted  he  was,  how  the  fierce  thun- 
derbolt of  war  was  interwoven  thi-<jugh  and  through 
with  the  tenderest  Christian  virtues. 

This  new  edition  of  her  book  will,  doubtless, 
after  awhile,  be  followed  by  others  in  quick  succes- 
sion, by  wide  demand.  The  scholar  will  take  inter- 
est in  the  study  of  the  elements  of  his  renown  and 


GREATNESS  GREATER.  625 

the  central  forces  of  his  success  ;  the  masses  will  be 
elevated  by  viewing  the  unpretending  and  self-for- 
getting character  of  the  man  who  carried  by  storm 
all  hearts,  as  well  as  all  opposition  in  the  battle; 
parents  will  put  this  story  in  the  hands  of  their 
children,  that  they  may  learn  how  goodness  makes 
all  greatness  greater. 


A^xiJOo  >M  .\ldiu5^ 


40 


GENEKAL  T.  J.  ("STONEWALL")  JACKSON. 
From  a  medallion  in  the  poBsession  of  Mrs.  Jackson. 


APTEXDIX. 

In  adding  an  appendix,  my  desire  is  to  place  upon 
the  same  lasting  basis  as  this  book  a  record  of  two 
great  statues  which  have  been  erected  to  the  memory 
of  General  Jackson.  These  expressions  have  voiced 
the  feeling,  both  in  England  and  in  this  land,  that 
he  was  worthy  to  stand  alongside  the  heroes  of  the 
past,  whose  statues  have  been  such  an  inspiration 
to  the  men  of  our  country  since  the  Revolution. 

In  my  description  of  these  statues,  I  have  copied 
largely  from  the  newspaper  accounts  of  the  celebra- 
tion of  the  unveiling  ceremonies — when  Southern 
loyalty  and  devotion  culminated  in  these  lasting 
memorials  of  their  beloved  chieftain. 

But  these  memorials  are  not  confined  alone  to 
General  Jackson's  mother  State,  Virginia,  to  whom 
he  was  so  true  and  devoted  a  son.  The  Louisiana 
Division  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia  testi- 
fied their  love  for  him  by  erecting  an  imposing 
statue  in  Metairie  Cemetery,  'New  Orleans,  in  1881. 

In  Augusta,  Ga.,  also,  upon  a  handsome  Confed- 
erate monument  one  figure  represents  General  Jack- 
son ;  and  there  may  be  other  statues  in  the  South  I 
have  not  seen,  but  to  which  I  would  give  just  and 
grateful  recognition. 

No  tribute  that  has  ever  been  paid  to  the  memory 
of  General  Jackson  is  fraught  with  more  magna- 
nimity and  sympathetic  admiration  of  his  character 
than  that  of  the  presentation  of  the  English  statue 


628  APPENDIX. 

of  him,  which  stands  in  the  Capitol  Square  at  Rich- 
mond, Va. 

The  Hon.  A.  J.  B.  Beresford  Hope,  M.  P.,  was 
the  representative  of  his  countrymen  in  making  this 
grand  offering  to  the  State  of  Virginia,  as  the  fol- 
lowing interesting  letter  from  him  to  Governor 
Kemper   will    show : 

"Arklotv  House,  Connatjght  Place, 
London,  March  2,  1875. 

"  Sir, — When  the  news  reached  England  of  the 
death  of  General  T.  J.  Jackson  (so  well  known  as 
'  Stonewall '  Jackson),  a  subscription  was  spon- 
taneously organized  in  this  country,  among  persons 
who  admired  the  character  of  that  truly  great  man, 
to  procure  a  statue  of  him  which  they  might  pre- 
sent to  his  native  country  as  a  tribute  of  English 
sympathy  and  admiration.  The  work  was  intrusted 
to  a  most  distinguished  artist  (the  late  Mr.  J.  H. 
Foley,  R.  A.),  and  although  its  progress  was  delayed 
by  the  ill  health  of  the  sculptor  and  by  his  conscien- 
tious desire  for  the  accuracy  of  the  portrait,  and, 
latterly,  by  his  death,  it  has  been  brought  to  a  suc- 
cessful conclusion  in  the  form  of  a  standing  statue 
of  heroic  size,  cast  in  bronze.  It  is  a  very  noble 
work  of  art  and,  it  is  hoped  and  believed,  a  faithful 
likeness. 

"  As  representing  the  subscribers,  it  is  now  my 
pleasurable  duty  to  ask  you  whether  the  State  of 
Virginia  will  accept  this  memorial  of  its  distin- 
guished son,  and  tribute  of  English  sympathy,  and 
would  guarantee  its  erection  in  some  conspicuous 
spot  in  Richmond.  If  the  answer  is  favorable,  I 
would  take  the  necessary  steps  to  forward  the  statue 


APPENDIX.  629 

to  its  destination.  It  is  the  privilege  of  members  of 
our  Royal  Academy  of  Arts  that  the  works  of  a 
deceased  Academician  may  be  contributed  to  the 
exhibition  immediately  succeeding  his  death.  It  is 
considered  due  alike  to  the  artist  and  the  subject 
that  the  English  people  should  have  the  opportunity 
of  seeing  the  statue  before  it  leaves  this  country 
forever. 

"  The  annual  exhibition  of  the  Academy  closes 
about  the  beginning   of  August,  after  which  date 
no  delay  need  take  place  in  forwarding  the  statue 
to  Virginia.     I  have  the  honor  to  remain,  sir, 
"  Your  faithful  and  obedient  servant, 

"A.  J.  B,  Beresford  Hope, 
"M.  P.  for  University  of  Cambridge." 

From  the  message  of  Governor  Kemper  (who  was 
himself  a  gallant,  wounded  Confederate  soldier), 
communicating  Mr.  Hope's  letter  to  the  General 
Assembly,  the  following  extract  is  worthy  of 
preservation  : 

"  It  revives  no  animosities  of  the  past,  it  wounds 
the  sensibilities  of  no  good  man  of  whatever  party 
or  section,  to  honor  and  revere  the  name  of  Jackson. 
All  the  world  knows  that  the  earth  beneath  which 
his  body  lies  covers  the  ashes  of  a  patriot  and  hero, 
whose  greatness  shed  lustre  on  the  age  in  which  he 
lived.  His  example  belongs  to  mankind^  and  his 
deeds  and  virtues  will  l)e  clierished  bv  all  the  comine: 
generations  of  the  great  American  republic  as  among 
the  proudest  memories  of  p  common  glory.  Many 
others  are  now  the  objects  of  higher  honors  and 
louder  praises.  But  when  the  accidents  of  fortune 
and  success  shall  no  longer  determine  the  value  of 


630  APPENDIX. 

principles  and  achievement?,  when  the  names  of 
others  now  more  applauded  shall  have  been  swept 
into  oblivion  by  the  hand  of  time,  the  memory  of 
Stonewall  Jackson,  like  that  of  his  great  commander, 
Lee,  will  continue  to  grow  brighter  as  the  centuries 
pass  into  history." 

The  unveiling  of  the  statue  took  place  on  the  26th 
of  October,  1876.  The  day  was  one  of  autumn's 
richest  splendor,  and  the  city  was  beautifully  and 
appropriately  decorated.  The  flags  of  Great  Britain 
and  the  United  States  waved  together — pennants, 
evergreens  and  flowers  expressed  in  emblematic  and 
figurative  designs  the  crowning  sentiment  of  the 
occasion:  "England's  Tribute  to  Virginia  Valor." 
From  all  parts  of  the  country  (but  chiefly  from  the 
South)  came  such  a  multitude  as  had  not  assembled 
in  Itichmond  since  the  close  of  the  war. 

The  procession  was  immense  and  imposing — 
General  Joseph  E.  Johnston,  as  chief  marshal, 
with  his  staff",  leading ;  then  General  Jackson's  staif, 
without  a  leader  ;  the  Stonewall  Brigade  ;  a  long 
line  of  old  officers  and  soldiers  of  the  Confederate 
Army,  including  infantry  and  cavalry;  the  digni- 
taries of  the  State,  citizens  and  visitors.  Bands  of 
music  were  interspersed  and  the  whole  pageant  was 
as  grand  as  love  and  veneration  for  the  dead  could 
make  it.  The  ceremonies  of  unveiling  were  opened 
with  prayer  by  Bishop  Doggett,  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  South.  Governor  Kemper  then 
made  a  cordial  and  graceful  speech  of  welcome,  in 
which  he  said  :  "  With  a  mother's  tears  and  love, 
with  ceremonies  to  be  chronicled  in  her  archives 
and  transmitted  to  the  latest  posterity,  the  Common- 


(Km'IiI   \  i.'». 


FOI.EY"s    P:Nf!LIS!I    STATIK    OK    CKN.      1'.     .1.    (  S  lO.NKW  A  l.l.)    JACKSON. 
IMCIIMOM).     \A- 


APPENDIX.  631 

vv^ealtli  this  day  emblazons  tlie  virtues  and  conse- 
crates in  enduring  bronze  the  image  of  her  mighty 
dead.  Not  for  herself  alone,  but  for  the  sister  States 
whose  sons  he  led  in  war,  Virginia  accepts  and  she 
will  proudly  preserve  the  sacred  trust  now  consigned 
to  her  perpetual  custody.  Not  for  the  Southern 
people  only,  l>ut  for  every  citizen  of  whatever  section 
of  the  American  Republic,  this  tribute  to  illustrious 
virtue  and  genius  is  transmitted  to  the  coming  ages, 
to  be  cherished,  as  it  will  be,  with  national  pride  as 
one  of  the  noblest  memorials  of  a  common  heritage 
of  glory.  Nay,  in  every  country  and  for  all  man- 
kind, Stonewall  Jackson's  career  of  unconscious 
heroism  will  go  down  as  an  inspiration,  teaching 
the  power  of  courage,  and  conscience,  and  faith, 
directed  to  the  glory  of  God." 

The  Governor  closed  his  brief  address  by  present- 
ing the  orator  of  the  day,  as  "  the  companion  and 
friend  of  Jackson,  the  reverend  man  of  God — Moses 
D.  Hoge." 

Dr.  Hoge  has  long  been  known  as  the  great  pul- 
pit power  of  Richmond.  His  address  held  the  vast 
audience  spell-bound  for  over  an  hour — his  burning 
eloquence  and  magnetism  deeply  moving  the  hearts 
of  the  people  and  eliciting  the  warmest  enthusiasm 
and  applause. 

At  the  close  of  the  oration,  the  statue  was 
unveiled  amid  thunders  of  artillery,  music  and  the 
most  enthusiastic  applause. 

A  touching  incident  of  the  occasion  was  a  call 
from  the  old  soldiers  to  see  little  Julia,  the  only 
living  representative  of  General  Jackson,  then  twelve 
years   of  age.     She  was  accordingly  led   upon  the 


632  APPENDIX. 

platform  by  Governor  Kemper,  who  introduced  her 
thus:  "Soldiers,  I  present  to  you,  Julia,  the  only 
child  of  '  Stonewall  '  Jackson  ! "  Hats  were  lifted, 
and  no  louder  or  more  heartfelt  cheers  went  up  that 
day  than  those  which  greeted  the  trembling  child, 
and  many  a  tear  moistened  the  eyes  of  the  bronzed 
veterans  who  had  followed  her  soldier  father. 

In  the  evening  a  reception  was  held  at  the  gov- 
ernor's mansion  to  give  the  old  soldiers  an  oppor- 
tunity to  pay  their  respects  to  their  general's  wife 
and  daughter,  and  such  an  aft'ecting  scene  as  it  was 
is  seldom  witnessed  in  this  land.  Nothing  could 
have  been  more  different  from  the  conventional 
dress  reception.  The  dear  old  soldiers  came  march- 
ing in — many  in  their  plain  country  garbs ;  some 
stumping  on  wooden  legs,  others  offering  the  left 
hand  because  the  right  had  been  lost  upon  the  field 
of  battle ;  many  of  them  (instead  of  the  formal 
hand-shake)  taking  my  hand  and  that  of  my  child 
in  their  big,  rough  hands,  and  shaking  and  shaking, 
while  the  tears  rolled  down  their  cheeks.  "  This 
scene,"  said  one  who  was  present,  "  gave  me  an 
insight  into  the  marvellous  hold  Jackson  had  upon 
the  affections  of  his  men,  as  nothing  had  ever  done." 

The  celebration  was  concluded  by  a  magnificent 
display  of  fireworks  upon  the  Capitol  Square. 

The  statue  is  a  figure  of  heroic  size,  seven  feet 
and  three  inches  in  height,  erect  and  noble;  head 
uncovered;  the  right  hand, grasping  a  gauntlet,  rests 
naturally  upon  the  hip ;  on  the  loft  arm  hangs  a 
military  cloak,  while  the  left  hand  holds  the  hilt  of 
a  sword,  whose  point,  without  bearing  any  weight, 
is  resting  lightly  upon  the  top  of  a  low  stone  wall 


FOLEY'S    ENGI,ISH    STATUE    OF    OEN.    T.    J.     (sTONKWAI.L)    .IACKSON. 
KICIIMOM),    VA. 


APPENDIX.  633 

that  symbolizes  the  heroic  name.  The  bared  liead, 
which  is  turned  a  little  to  the  right,  is  looking 
keenly  but  calmly  into  the  distance,  as  if  he  were 
watching,  with  confidence  in  his  subordinates,  for 
the  fulfilment  of  an  order  already  given.  The  atti- 
tude combines  ease,  dignity  and  endurance.  The 
costume  is  that  of  a  Confederate  general,  with 
military  boots,  and  in  every  detail  the  eftect  is 
graceful  and  true  to  life.  It  is  the  face,  however, 
that  is  worthiest  of  study  and  admiration.  A  coun- 
tenance not  only  expressing  earnestness,  resolution, 
tenderness  and  goodness,  but  enormous  will  power, 
and  that  self-control  which  forms  such  an  important 
element  in  the  power  of  controlling  others. 

The  statue  will  stand  among  statues  as  Jackson 
stood  among  men — simple,  heroic  and  sublime. 

The  pedestal  is  of  Virginia  granite,  and  is  mod- 
elled from  the  designs  of  the  sculptor,  Foley.  It  is 
perfectly  proportioned,  forming  a  fitting  base  for 
the  statue,  and  bears  this  inscription  : 

PRESENTED    BY    ENGLISH    GENTLEMEN 

AS   A 

Tribute  of  Admiration  for  the  Soldier 
AND  Patriot 

THOMAS   J.   JACKSON", 

And  Gratefully   Accepted   by  Virginia   ix 

THE  Name  of  the  Southern  People. 

Done  A.  D.  1875, 

IN  THE   Hundredth  Year  of  the 

Commonwealth. 


look!    there    is    JAfKSON    STANDING 

like  a  stone  wall!  '' 


634  APPENDIX. 

In  connection  with  the  account  of  English  love 
and  liberality,  as  expressed  by  this  statue,  it  may  not 
be  inappropriate  to  add  several  expressions  of  the 
same  feeling  from  other  sources,  yet  still  English. 

FROM  THE  LONDON  TIMES,  MAY  26tH. 

"  The  Confederate  laurels  won  on  the  field  of 
Chancellorsville  must  be  twined  with  the  cypress. 
.  .  .  Even  on  this  side  of  the  ocean  the  gallant 
soldier's  fate  will  ever^'where  be  heard  of  with  pity 
and  sympathy.  Not  only  as  a  brave  man  fighting 
for  his  country's  independence,  but  as  one  of  the 
most  consummate  generals  that  this  century  has 
produced,  '  Stonewall '  Jackson  will  carry  with  him 
to  his  early  grave  the  regrets  of  all  who  can  admire 
greatness  and  genius.  From  the  earliest  days  of 
the  war  he  has  been  conspicuous  for  the  most  re- 
markable military  qualities.  That  mixture  of  dar- 
ing and  judgment,  which  is  the  mark  of  'Heaven- 
born  '  generals,  distinguished  him  beyond  any  man 
of  his  time.  Although  the  young  Confederac}'  has 
been  illustrated  by  a  number  of  eminent  soldiers, 
yet  the  applause  and  devotion  of  his  countrymen, 
confirmed  by  the  judgment  of  European  nations, 
have  given  the  first  phice  to  General  Jackson.  The 
military  feats  he  accomplished  moved  the  minds  of 
people  with  astonishment,  which  it  is  only  given  to 
the  highest  genius  to  produce.  The  blows  he  struck 
at  the  enemy  were  as  terrible  and  decisive  as  those 
of  Bonaparte  himself.  The  march  by  which  he 
surprised  the  army  of  Pope  last  year  would  be 
enough  in  itself  to  give  him  a  high  place  in  military 
history.     But,  perhaps,  the  crowning  glory  of  his 


APPENDIX.  635 

life  was  the  great  l)attle  in  wliieli  he  fell,  Wlien 
the  Federal  commander,  by  crossing  the  river  twelve 
miles  above  his  camp  and  pressing  on,  as  he  thought, 
to  the  rear  of  the  Confederates,  had  placed  them 
between  two  bodies  of  his  army,  he  was  so  confi- 
dent of  success  as  to  boast  that  the  enemy  was  the 
property  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  It  was 
reserved  to  Jackson,  by  a  swift  and  secret  march,  to 
fall  upon  his  right  wing,  crush  it,  and  by  an  attack 
unsurpassed  in  fierceness  and  pertinacity,  to  drive 
his  very  superior  forces  back  into  a  position  from 
which  he  could  not  extricate  himself  except  by  flight 
across  the  river." 

FROM  THE  LONDON  TELEGRAPH,  MAY  27tH. 

.  .  .  "Add  to  the  splendid  valor  of  a  Murat  the 
fervid  faith  of  a  Cromwell  and  the  unbroken  suc- 
cess of  a  Ilavelock,  and  we  have  a  captain  whose 
waving  sword  and  fearless  voice  the  Southern 
whites  would  have  followed  '  to  the  pit.' 

"  That  he  never  lived  to  exchange  a  division  for  an 
army,  a  flying  corps  for  the  massed  columns  of  the 
field  of  battle,  may,  perhaps,  have  been  good  for  his 
fame,  but  the  leader  who  could  find  the  weak  ])lace 
in  Hooker's  line  at  Chancellorsville,  and  hurl  his 
twenty -five  thousand  troops  upon  it  so  soon  as  found, 
as  Jackson  did,  would  surely  have  ripened  into  a 
renowned  general.  Assuredly  the  most  fatal  sh'ot  of 
the  war  to  the  Confederates,  whether  fired  by  friend 
or  foe,  was  that  which  struck  down  the  life  of 
'  Stonewall '  Jackson — a  soldier,  every  inch  of  him, 
for  whatever  cause  he  contended." 

Soon  after  the   death   of  General   Jackson,  the 


636  APPENDIX. 

soldiers  of  the  Stonewall  Brigade  sent  to  me  the 
request  that  they  might  be  permitted  to  erect  a 
monument  over  the  grave  of  their  late  commander. 

As  the  war  lasted  two  years  after  his  decease, 
and  as  the  brave  old  brigade  was  diminished  by 
death,  and  finally  impoverished  by  defeat,  it  was 
necessarily  a  long  time  before  a  monument  could 
be  raised.  However,  "A  Jackson  Memorial  Asso- 
ciation "  w^as  organized  soon  after  the  close  of  the 
war,  and  by  dint  of  perseverance  and  patriotic 
loyalty,  the  object  was  crowned  with  success,  after 
the  lapse  of  thirty  years.  In  the  meantime  the 
grave  looked  so  neglected,  and  the  turf  around  it 
was  so  trodden  down  by  many  visitors,  that  I  had 
the  plot  enclosed  with  an  iron  railing,  and  a  simple 
marble  headstone,  inscribed  with  his  name  only,  and 
a  footstone  bearing  his  initials,  placed  at  the  grave. 
This  unpretentious  monument  marked  his  resting 
place  for  nearly  thirty  years,  and  was  frequently 
commented  upon  as  being  singularly  appropriate 
for  a  man  of  General  Jackson's  simplicity  and 
humility  of  character. 

"When,  however,  the  bronze  statue  was  ready  for 
erection,  this  plot  was  not  large  enough  for  it, 
and  the  remains  of  General  Jackson  and  his  two 
children  (one  an  infant,  and  the  other  his  daughter, 
Julia,  who  died  a  wife  and  mother)  were  removed 
to  a  larger  and  more  commanding  lot,  near  by,  in 
the  same  cemetery. 

This  handsome  monument  now  stands  over  the 
dust  of  the  liero,  as  a  testimonial  of  the  love  and 
veneration  of  his  soldiers  and  friends  tliroughout 
the  South.     To  the  ladies  of  Lexington  great  credit 


APPENDIX. 


637 


is  due  for  their  noble  eftbrts  in  collecting  funds  for 
this  nionunient.  They  worked  long  and  faithfully, 
not  only  with  their  own  hands,  but  in  holding 
bazaars  and  entertainments  that  yielded  large  re- 
turns, which,  with  true  patriotism,  they  poured  into 
the  treasury  of  the  association. 

The  monument  was  unveiled  on  the  21st  of  July, 
1891,  which  was  the  thirtieth  anniversary  of  the 
first  'battle  of  Manassas,  in  which  General  Jackson 
won  his  first  laurels  as  a  warrior  of  immortal  fame. 
In  describing  the  statue  and  the  scenes  of  its  un- 
veiling, extracts  have  been  culled  from  the  news- 
papers of  that  date : 

"  The  bronze  statue  is  of  heroic  size  and  repre- 
sents the  commander  in  uniform,  standing,  with  a 
pair  of  field-glasses  in  his  right  hand,  which  he  has 
just  lowered,  and  his  left  hand  placed  on  the  top  of 
his  sword  hilt,  his  weight  resting  upon  the  left  leg 
and  sword  point.     The  figure  is  eight  feet  high,  and 
rests  upon  a  granite  pedestal  ten  feet  and  six  inches 
high,  giving  it  from  the  ground  to  the  top  of  the 
figiire  a  height  of  nineteen    feet   and    two    inches. 
The  pedestal  is  noble  for  its  simplicity,  chasteness 
of  style  and  fit  adaptation  to  the  rest  of  the  work. 
From  foundation  to  cap-stone  it  is  devoid  of  artistic 
ornamentation.     The  north  face  of  the  middle  stone 
bears  the  word,  'STONEWALL'  and  the  opposite 
face   the  name,       'JACKSON'       and  the  dates  of 
birth  and  death,       '1824-1863.'       The    other  two 
sides  are  blank.     The  conception  of  tlie  whole  figure 
is  life-like  and  natural.     The  connnanding  posture 
and  the  keen  and  steady  gaze  impress  the  beholder 
with  the  idea  that  Jackson  is  watching  a  charge  or 


638  APPENDIX. 

some  important  movement  of  his  troops,  and  his 
expression  indicates  that  things  are  progressing 
satisfactorily." 

The  sculptor  was  Virginia's  gifted  son,  Edward 
V.  Valentine. 

"Mature  seemed  to  smile  upon  the  day  of  the 
unveiling,  which  w^as  celebrated  amid  the  glad 
acclaim  of  thousands.  It  was  the  tribute  of  a  brave 
and  intelligent  people  to  a  man  whom  the}'  regarded 
as  representing  the  highest  type  of  their  civilization, 
a  man  of  rare  genius  and  of  a  sturdy  virtue  hardly 
less  astounding." 

"  The  bright  uniform  of  the  soldiers  mingled  with 
the  sober  garb  of  the  citizens.  Strains  of  music 
from  many  bands  awakened  the  echoes  about  the 
usuall}^  quiet  town.  The  tread  of  a  vast  multitude 
was  heard  upon  its  streets.  Old  veteran  soldiers 
gathered  in  groups  and  discussed  incidents  of  life 
around  the  camp-fire  and  on  the  battle-field  when 
with  their  old  commander,  and  when  the  jest  and 
laugh  went  round  younger  men  wondered  whether 
war  was,  after  all,  so  terrible  as  it  seemed. 

"  The  decorations  of  the  streets  and  buildings  wore 
in  keeping  with  Jackson's  views — simple  and  plain, 
yet  beautiful ;  the  designs  showed  the  taste  and  the 
feeling  of  the  people  as  well  as  the  sentiment  they 
wished  to  express  —  'Welcome  to  all  !' 

"At  the  Virginia  Military  Institute  bunting  and 
flags  of  all  descriptions  floated  from  every  conspicu- 
ous place.  But  the  section-room  on  the  second  floor, 
once  used  by  Jackson,  was  the  place  of  beauty.  En- 
tering the  room,  on  one  side  there  was  a  pyramid  of 
potted  flowers  three  feet  high,  near  the  chair  occu- 


APPENDIX.  639 

pied  by  General  Jackson  as  an  instructor,  the  chair 
being  garlanded  witii  flowers,  in  front  of  a  simple 
pine  table  once  used  by  him.  To  the  left,  a  black- 
board bearing  the  inscription,  'He  fought  a  good 
fight.'  To  the  fron^t,  a  stand  of  guns,  with  the 
marker's  flag  of  the  regiment.  On  another  black- 
board was  the  inscription  :  '  Lieutenant-Generul 
Jackson's  body  lay  in  state  in  this  tower.  May  14th, 
1863.'  Next  to  this  was  the  printed  order  of  his 
funeral  at  that  time.  On  another  blackboard  was 
inscribed :  '  Elected  to  the  chair  of  experimental  phi- 
losophy and  military  tactics,  1851.'  To  the  right  of 
the  professor's  chair  were  tliree  rows  of  plain  bench 
seats,  suggestive  of  a  recitation.  The  whole  was 
simple,  but  exceedingly  impressive." 

"  The  streets  of  the  town  were  spanned  with 
triumphal  arches,  which  were  very  handsome  and 
striking.  Upon  one  was  written,  in  immense  letters, 
at  the  top  the  name  of  Stonewall  Jackson,  and 
upon  its  columns  the  battles  fought  by  him. 

"Five  other  arches  bad  inscribed  upon  them  the 
five  following  beautiful  couplets,  composed  by  Mrs. 
Margaret  J.  Preston : 

"  '  Faith  that  onuld  not  yield 
"Was  the  legend  of  his  shield.' 

"  '  Welcome  for  all  who  live, 
Tears  for  all  who  die.' 

"  '  From  the  fields  i>f  death  and  fame 
Borne  upon  his  shield  he  came.' 

"  '  From  the  land  for  which  he  bled 
Honor  to  the  warrior  dead.' 

"  '  In  the  valley  let  me  lie, 

Underneath  God's  open  sky.' 


640 


APPENDIX. 


"  On   the   arch  over  the  cemetery  gate  was   the 
quotation : 

"  '  Nor  braver  bled  for  brighter  lands." 

"  The    exercises  were   held   upon  the  campus  of 
Washington  and  Lee  University,  and  were  opened 


JULIA  JACKSON   CHRISTIAN   AT   FOUR  YEARS. 

(Genurul  Jucksoii's  Graiuldaugbter.) 

witli  music  by  the  Old  Rockbridge  Artillery  Band. 
"Rev.  Dr.  A.  C.  Hopkins,  of  Charleston,  W.  Ya., 
known  as  'the  Fighting  Chaplain'  of  the  Stonewall 
Brigade,  then  offered  an  eloqncnt  prayer." 


APPENDIX. 


♦J41 


General  Wade  Hampton  next  introduced  General 
Jubal  A.  Early,  who,  after  being  greeted  with  great 
enthusiasm,  delivered  an  address  on  the  military  life 
of  General  Jackson.       General  Early  had  been  an 


\^ 


.^"■ 


■  ^ 


T.  J.  JACKSON    CIIUISTIAN    AT   THREE   YEARS. 

(General  Jiirkson's  Grandson.) 

able  and  trusted  lieutenant  to  his  old  commander, 
and  was  conspicuous  as  long  as  he  lived  for  his  un- 
swerving devotion  and  loyalty  to  the  Confederate 
cause. 

"After    the     address    the    assemblage    marched 


642  APPENDIX. 

through  the  beautifully  decorated  streets  up  to  the 
cemetery,  which  was  too  small  to  hold  a  twentieth  of 
the  crowd.  The  military  procession  took  their  stand 
in  a  field  adjoining  the  cemetery,  in  full  view  of  the 
statue,  and  formed  a  phalanx  of  veterans  as  brave  as 
those  who  stood  invincible  on  the  historic  fields  of 
Greece. 

"Beside  the  statue  was  erected  a  little  platform, 
covered  with  white,  upon  which  those  who  were  to 
unveil  it  should  stand.  A  few  minutes  before  the 
last  of  the  soldiers  had  filed  in,  Mrs.  Jackson,  the 
wife,  and  little  Julia  Jackson  Christian,  aged  four 
years,  and  Thomas  J.  Jackson  Christian,  aged  three 
years,  the  grandchildren  of  '  Stonewall '  Jackson, 
mounted  the  steps  of  the  platform. 

"  "When  the  signal  gun  sounded,  the  two  little 
children,  with  united  hands,  pulled  the  cord,  letting 
the  veil  fall,  and  the  statue  of  the  great  Jackson 
stood  revealed  to  the  admiring  gaze  of  the  thousands 
around  it.  The  cannoneers  of  the  old  Rockbiidge 
Artillery  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  announced  the  event 
with  fifteen  guns,  from  the  cannon  which  the}-  used 
at  First  Manassas,  and  a  shout  such  as  these  quiet 
precincts  never  before  heard  rent  the  air.  It  was 
answered  by  the  veterans  on  the  other  side  with  an 
old-fashioned  '  rebel  yell,'  The  reverberating  hills 
took  it  up  and  echo  carried  it  into  the  deep  recesses 
of  the  blue  mountains,  where  it  died  away  into 
sweet  musical  cadences,  and  Avas  lost  in  the  distanee. 
The  armed  infantry  fired  volleys  until  it  sounded  as 
if  a  real  battle  was  in  ju'ogress. 

"Heart  saluted  unto  heart  and  was  silent,  Such 
a    scene    had    never   been    witnessed    in   this    land. 


APPENDIX. 


643 


'  Behold  how  they  loved  him  ! '  said  one,  and  it  was 
spoken  with  deepest  reverence.  Two  well-known 
officers  who  served  under  Jackson,  both  well  scar- 
red, were  sitting  near  each  other  on  their  horses. 
Each  remarked  the  silence  of  the  other  and,  casting 
side  glances,  each  saw  the  other  iu  tears.  'I'm 
not  ashamed  of  it,  Snowdeii  !'  'Nor  I,  old  hoy,' 
responded  the  other,  as  he  tried  to  smile. 

"When,  after  the  unveiling,  the  column  was 
marched  past  the  monument,  the  old  fellows  looked 
up  and  then  bowed  their  uncovered  heads  and 
passed  on.  But  this  silent  parting  was  too  much 
for  one  tall,  gaunt  soldier  of  the  old  brigade,  who, 
as  he  passed  out  of  the  cemetery,  stopped,  and 
looked  back  for  a  moment  at  the  life-like  figure  of 
his  general,  and  then  waving  his  old  gray  hat 
towards  it, cried  out:  '  Good-bye, old  man, good-bye; 
we've  done  all  we  could  for  you,  good-bye ! ' 

The  New  York  Herald,  in  commenting  on  the 
occasion,  sahl :  "  Judged  by  the  criterion  of  success 
on  the  field,  and  especially  by  his  celebrated  Valley 
campaign,  which  he  alone  conducted,  and  which 
good  military  critics  have  compared  with  the  most 
brilliant  of  Napoleon's  campaigns,  no  general  of 
the  Soathern  armies,  Lee  excepted,  was  his  superior 
eitber  in  tactical  or  strategical  ability.  With  his 
fall  at  Chancellorsville,  in  the  bour  of  his  greatest 
victory,  the  sun  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia 
began  to  set. 

"But  with  all  his  genius  for  war  Jackson  com- 
bined a  uniciue  character  for  moral  beroism  and 
devotion  to  what  he  deemed  bis  duty,  which  is 
justly  the  admiration  of  the  best  men  of  every  sec- 


644  APPENDIX. 

tion  of  the  Union.  The  demonstration  at  Lexing- 
ton, therefore,  can  not  be  regarded  as  an  attempt 
to  fan  the  fires  of  sectional  feeUng.  It  was  a 
spontaneous  tribute  to  a  great  warrior  and  a  great 
man." 

Mr.  George  R.  "Wendling,  a  Northern  man,  in  a 
magnificent   lecture   on    this    Southern    hero,  said: 

...  "A  personality  so  unique,  a  force  so  tremen- 
dous as  Stonewall  Jackson,  is  not  projected  into 
human  affairs  by  chance.  There  must  be  for  us  a 
deep  lesson,  for  our  weal  or  woe  as  a  nation,  some- 
where in  the  history  of  a  man  whose  career  bore 
with  immeasurable  weight  upon  our  national  exist- 
ence. .  .  .  The  purpose  of  the  war,  apparently  from 
the  divine  standpoint,  was  to  select  this  man,  in 
whose  veins  flowed  no  drop  of  Puritan  blood,  but 
only  the  purest  strain  of  the  cavalier,  to  which  was 
joined  the  most  rigid  Puritanic  religious  convic- 
tions—  and  of  a  man  so  blended  to  make  the  fusing 
together  the  cavalier  and  Puritan  of  South  and 
Xorth,  in  the  white  crucible  of  war,  and  so  to 
cement  as  never  before  those  diverse  and  divergent 
elements  and  make  the  American  nation." 

WORDS    FROM    JEFFERSON    DAVIS. 

"To-day  Jackson  stands  in  the  opinion  of 
Europeans,  so  far  as  I  know  it,  the  higlicst  chief- 
tain of  the  Confederate  cause.  This  great  acade- 
mician, this  silent  professor,  constantly  rose  like  a 
meteor  in  brightness,  for  his  light  was  steady  as 
the  orb  of  day,  growing  in  power,  increasing  in 
brilliancy,  and  in  the  trust  which  the  people  reposed 
upon  it." 


APPENDIX.  045 

During  his  captivity  Mr.  Davis  also  said : 

"For  glory  Jackson  had  lived  long  enough,  and 
if  the  result  had  to  come,  it  was  the  divine  mercy 
that  removed  him.  lie  fell  like  the  eagle,  his  own 
feather  on  the  shaft  that  was  dripping  with  his  own 
life-blood. 

"In  his  death  the  Confederacy  lost  an  eye  and  an 
arm,  our  only  consolation  being  that  his  summons 
could  have  reached  no  soldier  more  prepared  to 
accept  it  joyfidly." 

Hon.  William  Porcher  Miles,  LL.  D.,  president 
of  the  South  Carolina  College,  in  an  address  to 
young   men,  said : 

"The  deep  religious  enthusiasm  of  Jackson  doubt- 
less had  much  to  do  with  the  impression  he  made 
upon  the  ISTorthern  mind,  especially  in  New  En- 
gland, where  the  stamp  of  the  old  Puritans  remains 
indelible.  There  was,  too,  something  of  Cromwell 
about  him,  though  with  none  of  Cromwell's  intrigue 
and  personal  ambition.  His  own  exalted  ideal  of 
duty  made  him  sternly  exacting  in  requiring  its 
discharge  by  others.  He  could  not  easily  make 
allowances  for  the  shortcomings  of  his  subordinates ; 
and  indolence  and  inefficiency  he  held  in  loft}'  con- 
tempt. In  one  of  his  letters  written  to  me  as  chair- 
man of  the  Military  Committee  of  the  Confederate 
House  of  Representatives,  urging  the  necessity  of 
ridding  the  army  of  incompetent  officers  (and  which, 
I  may  add,  gave  rise  to  what  was  called  '  the  army 
purging  bill'),  he  used  the  following  language  : 

"'Merit  should  be  the  only  basis  for  promotion. 
A  true  patriot  will  not  desire  an  office  for  which  he 
is  incompetent,  and  none  but  true  patriots  should 


646  APPENDIX. 

have  office.  Officers  should  be  ready  to  ignore 
every  idea  of  personal  ease  and  comfort  and  to  place 
our  cause  above  every  earthly  co7isideratio7i.' 

"  Noble  words !  How  characteristic  of  the  man ! 
How  unceasingly  did  his  own  example  illustrate 
their  precepts !  Next  to  his  duty  to  his  God  stood 
his  duty  to  his  country.  In  her  cause  he  was  will- 
ing to  spend  and  be  spent.  No  dangers  could  daunt, 
no  perils  dishearten,  no  odds  dismay,  no  toil  or 
fatigue  subdue  the  indomitable  soul  of  this  Christian 
soldier.  The  physical  strength,  the  sinews  and 
muscles  of  his  men  and  horses  could  not  keep  pace 
with  his  fiery  ardor.  He  never  seemed  to  feel  the 
necessity  of  repose.  He  had  a  testimony  in  life  to 
deliver,  a  mission  to  accomplish,  and  could  not  rest 
until  the  goal  was  attained.  '  Rest ! '  he  would 
have  exclaimed  in  the  words  of  John  Wesley, 'Will 
I  not  have  all  eternity  to  rest  in?' 

"And  he  has  gone  to  that  rest.  Across  the  broad 
and  silent  river  he  calmly  passed,  while  victory 
still  hovered  over  his  banners,  hopeful,  trustful, 
happily  unconscious  of  the  impending  ruin  of  that 
cause  which  he  placed  'above  every  earthly  con- 
sideration,' and  for  which  he  was  ever  ready  to  lay 
down  his  life.  Truly  he  might  have  said:  'I  have 
fought  a  good  fight,  I  have  finished  my  course,  I 
have  kept  the  faith.  Henceforth  there  is  laid  up 
for  me  a  crown  of  righteousness,  which  the  Lord, 
the  righteous  Judge,  shall  give  me  at  that  day.' " 


APPENDIX.  647 


STONEWALL  JACKSON'S  DYING  WORDS. 

By  Mrs.  Maroakkt  J.  Pkestox. 

"What  are  the  thoughts  that  are  stirring  liis  breast? 
What  is  the  mystical  vision  he  sees? 
— ^Lei  us  pass  over  the  river,  and  rest 

Under  the  shade  of  the  trees. ' 

*'  Has  he  grown  sick  of  his  toils  and  his  tasks? 
Sighs  the  worn  spirit  for  respite  or  ease? 
Is  it  a  moment's  cool  halt  tliat  he  asks, 

Under  the  shade  of  the  trees? 

"  Is  it  the  far  Shenandoah,  whose  rush 

Ofttime  had  come  to  him,  borne  on  the  breeze. 
Over  his  tent,  as  he  lay  in  the  hush. 

Under  llie  shade  of  tht;  trees? 

"  Nay — though  the  rasp  of  tlie  flesh  was  so  sore, 

Faith,  that  had  yearnings  far  keener  than  these, 
Saw  the  soft  sheen  of  the  Thitherward  Shore, 
Under  the  shade  of  the  trees : — 

"Caught  the  high  psalms  of  ecstatic  delight, — 

Heard  the  harps  harping  like  soundings  of  seas,- 
Saw  earth's  pure-hearted  ones,  walking  in  white, 
Under  the  shade  of  the  trees. 

"  Surelj-  for  him  it  was  well, — it  was  best, — 

War-worn,  yet  asking  no  furlough  of  ease, 
There  to  pass  over  the  river  and  rest 

Under  the  shade  of  the  treesi" 


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